About the Artist

Martin Kotler (Newark, New Jersey, 1953)

My art is intensely personal, and I believe a true expression of my artistic vision. When I arrived in D.C. in 1978, I was lured toward Washington’s fading industrial landscape and its unique architectural subjects. Today, the cityscapes that I create echo many of the formal elements found in the great precisionist painters of the early 20th century. At the same time, I strive to retain a painterly style reminiscent of the “direct technique” evident in the paintings by George Bellows and Edwin Dickinson. My paintings seek to capture the light and forms of Washington’s 21st century dynamic urban environment.

Counter to my streetscapes are the many premier coup paintings of varied subjects. Whether I am capturing a winter scene of light and life unfolding along the Potomac River, or the train tracks and catenary behind Union Station, these are the things that draw my interest all painted en plein air.

I have studied, taught, and traveled throughout my career, always striving to elevate my artistry and uniqueness.

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Noted Collections

• Metropolitan Museum of Art

• Fogg Museum, Harvard University

• Los Angeles County Museum of Art

• Baltimore Museum of Art

• Headquarters United States Department of State, Washington, DC

• Smithsonian American Art Museum, Smithsonian Institution

• Katzen Center, American University

• Maryland Institute College of Art

• City Hall, Wilson Center, Washington, DC

• Placement of works through the Art in Embassies Program, United States Department of State: Pakistan, Guatemala, Philippines, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kosovo, Pristina.