Artist Bio
Marta Gottfried Wiley
Marta Wiley Gottfried Short Bio
Marta Wiley Gottfried
Marta Wiley Gottfried Short Bio
Marta Wiley Gottfried is of Mexican dissent and is generally considered one of the greatest classical contemporary artists of our time. Marta's unique as a figure painter, as an innovator of styles and techniques, as a master of various media, and as one of the most prolific artists of the 21 century. As a multi-media artist Marta has created thousands of paintings, hundred's of songs recently hitting top charts on the radio "Beggar" & "Signal", Author of Ring of Light & The Water Daughter, Marta stands at the top of her field. She is currently published by prestigious company Cap/ Winn Devon. Some publications have been top sellers now for over 15 years, grossing millions in revenues for her publishers, gallery's and licensee’s world wide.
Training and Early Work
Born in Mexico City, Marta's Grandmother, Martha Gottfried, a famous landscape artist in Mexico City, taught Marta how to paint at the age of two. And, as Marta claims, "Painting became her first language". Her Grandmother, considered a national treasure in Mexico, painted in the same circles as Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and Juan O’gorman. Marta's genius was cultivated by her grandmother and pushed by Irene Debohus, one of Martha's painting friends and Fridha Kahlo's lover. Moving from Mexico City to Miami at the age of 9 and then to Arizona. Marta's Mother Nena Wiley, an artist and a search and rescue pilot, kept young Marta in Magnet schools focusing on the arts, many hours of painting and drawing a day for 15 years. At the age of 18, Marta was accepted at the Otis Parsons School of Fine Arts in Los Angeles on full scholarship.
The Working Years
Between 1992 and 2005, Marta published her works with the Phoenix Art Press, Wynn Devon, Grand Image and New York Graphic Society, all prestigious publishing houses. As a result, her art has become well known. Marta traveled extensively during these years, painting and drawing what she saw. Her travels took her throughout Europe and Asia. She found the city's bohemian street life fascinating, and her pictures of people in dance halls and cafés show how she assimilated the postimpressionism and the romantic painters. The themes of the French painters Edgar Degas and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, as well as the style of the latter, exerted the strongest influence. Her famous painting, “Living the Dream", (Published by GrandImage), reflects the influence of both these painters and, at the same time, shows her evolution toward the Definitive Marta Wiley Gottfried Collection available for the first time in authentic signed and numbered Limited Editions published by Artexpo Studios https://artexpostudio.com/marta-wiley
Painting in Travel
In the summer of 1994, during Marta's stay in Europe, her work entered a new phase, marked by the influence of Indian and European art. She found in this style an in depth understanding of the ideal form of the female nude, which Marta restructured and developed into soft linear imagery. This style brought her continuously back to "the love of the line". The Scottish landscapes of her 1997 travels brought about an important watercolor series, very dreamy and romantic in nature. This series followed the development of "the way of the eye". Influenced tremendously by India and Nepal, both spiritually and artistically, Marta popularized the Asian style with the original "Lepa Zena” horse (Published by Wynn Devon and the top selling poster in the word today). With many other works in this style, she has helped bring the Asian-American revolutionary movement to home decor in the USA. Her art in this series has been heavily influenced by feng shui. Marta's African series (Published by Grand Image) also help reinforce the African-American cultural movement. These works were offered nation-wide through Bombay and Pier One Imports.
Marta immersed herself the museums of Europe, Prague, Holland, France and Mexico. She studied the old masters' techniques by working directly from the original paintings of Rembrandt, Van Dyke, Vermeer, Monet, and many others. The aesthetics of the Old Masters impressed her a great deal, and she continued the classic tradition in her work, meticulously combining the techniques of the Old Masters with her own contemporary sensibility to create unique works. She came to understand their sense of composition, color and portrayal of the human spirit. Marta's beautiful treatment of the human figure draws from the religious, mythological and secular visions of the past. By adding visual elements of a more modern style, the results have been uniquely aesthetic. And, perhaps hope has been revived that the ideal of beauty sought by the Old Masters still exists in today's world.
Realist and Surrealist Works
Several paintings of Marta's early years have aroused the interest of Museums. Painted in the technique of the old masters style, stressing harmonious, curvilinear lines and expressing an underlying eroticism, reflects Marta's depth of feeling. These works are controversial, sensual and very expressive. Serious Collectors and Museums are taking notice and purchasing what Marta calls her "Soul Work".
Collectors
Marta's work has been commissioned by collectors around the world, from public and private organizations to corporations and celebrities, and has been shown and collected by galleries throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan and Europe. Marta's paintings can be seen globally in top movies as Mission Impossible, Along Came Polly etc. Over 300 galleries world-wide have exhibited Marta's work. One Woman shows are held yearly in Mexico, Canada, Japan and New York.
Current Works
New series are continually being developed by Marta. You can review current original works available today by visiting Marta’s web page at http://www.martawiley.com Enjoy
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Born in Coyocan, Mexico (near Mexico City) of Jewish decent, Marta Gottfried Wiley had the unique opportunity to grow up and develop as an artist from a very young age within a diverse, cultural mecca - in the very same place where Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo lived and painted. Marta was guided and supported in her artistic explorations by my her Grandmother – herself an accomplished artist, recognized by the Mexican government as a National Treasure. Marta's early formative years were spent within Mexico, followed by Miami, Florida where she attended Magnet Preparatory Schools at the age of nine, There she focused on studying the Arts, Music and Philosophy. Marta later received her formal training through the Otis Parson School of Design, where she earned a full scholarship. Since that time, Marta has shown and sold work in galleries (nearly 300), museums and trade shows throughout the world, and her works have been published and licensed through a variety of major publishing companies. Marta now, however, owns her own publishing company, Marta G. Wiley Studios brand name signature (MARTA) – allowing her an outlet and vehicle for her substantial catalog of original art works (over 9,000 and growing daily), music (100 original albums), books, installation works (such as sculpture, mosaics, murals, and other mixed-media installations), apparel, and other products and media.
Marta Gottfried Wiley Biography 2009
Internationally acclaimed Avant-garde painter and singer/songwriter Marta Gottfried Wiley has painted thousands of paintings and written over 2, 000 songs (over 100 albums). She has had top-published posters grossing millions in sales over the last 15 years for publishing houses around the world (of which she received few revenues). In 2005, Marta launched her own publishing companies where some revenues of her art and music go to charity foundations to promote Art & Music education in schools. Unbound by any medium, Marta is also a talented sculptor, fashion designer, musician, photographer, model, poet, and author of The Ring of Light, based upon her experiences with Carlos Castaneda, Water Daughter Published by entrywaypublishing.com, Marta is writing third book called The Shield'. Currently, Marta is painting a full catalog of 2,000 paintings while launching her new publishing company, (Marta) MartaWiley.com. Few artists and musicians will ever achieve such feats, and Marta is barely in the prime of her career!
At the age of two, in a creative and prestigious household in Mexico City, Marta was first taught to paint by her grandmother, who painted in the same circles as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. At the age of nine, Marta began attending Magnet Schools for the Arts where she continued her art education, studying Art and Music nine hours a day. At the age of 16, Marta had her heart broken for the first time. The event sparked so much anger and grief in her that she ran to the store and bought her first real canvas and, without thought, she channeled her emotions through the paintbrush and created her first masterpiece: God yelling out all of his memories. As the painting unfolded, she realized she had encapsulated a small piece of God's soul. For the first time she felt in control of capturing essence within paint. Never had she painted what was coming out of her soul so thoroughly. No longer feeling pain or agony from the heartbreak, Marta felt great ecstasy from painting her emotions. Realizing its great therapeutic power, Marta began making it work for her rather than it being a duty. She also painted her entire room: one wall with a mural of a forest, a big lady with black hair and eyes the size of Marta's head was facing the observer singing, and on another wall she painted a black box to represent the great void of the unknown. The force of normal life 'freed' her; her artistic talents exploded!
Using mixed media, Marta then created a series of 30 paintings of a woman in chaos touching the eye of God and then twirling around in bliss. In 1990, Marta entered the Miss Billy Moore Beauty Pageant, and she credits her win of both Miss Congeniality and Miss Billy Moore to that series of painting-video multimedia, which was one of the truest expressions of herself. With incredible momentum now behind her, Marta was also awarded a full scholarship to the Otis Parson's School of Design in Los Angeles, where she majored in Art History and Painting with minors in Shock Art and Music. At the Age of 21, Marta painted her masterpiece the Lepa Zena. The Lepa Zena is a top seller in China, where the horse symbolizes success, money, luck, and glory. Surprisingly, its success has been parallel with China's ascent to Super Power.
Marta had also begun writing and recording music by age of twelve, and has an eclectic, Avant-garde style that ranges from 'Kate Bush to Pink Floyd', as well as many other Alternative Rock icons of our time. Marta plays guitar, bass, drums, piano and cello and has written, recorded and produced over 100 albums. Marta signed with Bill Jerome in 2010 http://www.jeromepromotions.com. Bill Jerome, the founder and president of Jerome Promotions, Inc. When Bill was 16, he pooled his money from a summer job with his brother Steve Jerome to rent studio time to produce their first record. All they needed was a group, a great song, and a record company to back them up. Not realizing that they were trying to accomplish the impossible, they found all three. That first record, “Respectable” by the Chants, sold a quarter of a million copies on MGM. Together, the Jerome brothers went on to produce over 130 records.
A chance meeting with Quincy Jones and Phil Ramone proved to be a turning point in Bill's career. "The most talented men I ever met,” Bill recounts, "invited me to several recording sessions and gave me the opportunity to learn how to produce a hit record." Less than six months later, Bill and Steve Jerome began producing a series of hits including "Walk Away, Renee" and "Pretty Ballerina" by The Left Banke (Smash Records), and "Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead" by The Fifth Estate (Jubilee Records). Their biggest selling hit, "Popcorn" by Hot Butter (Musicor RecoMusicrds), also featured him as a performer. All told, sales of their recordings reached over eleven million worldwide.
Bill's promotional ideas so impressed TK Records president Henry Stone that he hired him to work a then unknown artist, K.C. and the Sunshine Band. Contributing to the success of that group, as well as a number of other artists for TK, taught Bill an important lesson. "The most important thing I learned about promotion working with TK Records,” Bill explains, "is how critical the secondary radio stations are for launching new artists." Relying on his years of experience and connections in the music business, as a musician, producer, writer, and promoter, Bill decided to open his own promotion company, Jerome Promotions, in 1981. That same determination that led a 16 year old boy to fulfill his dream of producing a hit single is what fueled Jerome Promotions to be part of the hit-making process for such artists as U2, Madonna, R.E.M., The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, and Eric Clapton.
Almost thirty years later, Jerome Promotions has had successful projects with a number of major labels including Warner Brothers, Universal, Curb, Island, Arista, Capitol, Columbia, Epic, and Reprise. They have also provided opportunities for a number of small, independent labels.
What makes Jerome Promotions different from other promotion companies? "I don't know of any other promotion company led by someone with my variety of experiences,” explains Bill. "I've written songs, performed on my recordings, produced a number of hit records, and promoted countless singles for other artists. I believe that my professionalism shows in every aspect of my work. I have developed an honest relationship with both radio and clients over the years. In this business, it's not just who you know, it's how you get the job done.".
Marta's eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the most successful solo female recording artists. From the early stages of her musical career, she had gained a reputation for her determination to have a say in decisions affecting her work. She has since recorded many controversial albums such as Mechanical Heart, Red Honey, Witch Hunt and 80 other albums that did not fit the cookie-cutter agenda of the record labels. "I left the flaws in my music on purpose, no one got that, I liked the emotional response that you get from the flaw."
Marta focus's her energies on being involved in every aspect of subject matter and content, singing about the environment, women's issues, children's rights and animal protection. As she continues her work, Marta is becoming a legend and a pioneer of the feminine perspective of the world. By experimenting with sounds and production techniques, she creates albums that feature a diverse blend of musical styles known for their near-exhaustive use of spontaneity. With so much over production, Marta is a pioneer of a new sound, with uncompromising ability to achieve authenticity. (Marta has been building her private studio over the last 15 years, where she purposely records on old microphones and broken-down guitars to continue that edgy sound that she is has coined in her Alternative/Experimental sound.) Through the brilliance of keeping the flaw in the music, Marta examines feelings of self-doubt and burning self-confidence in the search for a balance between the two.
Marta moves from the light to the dark in the need to acknowledge and express the darker and light sides of one's personality within the greater context of maintaining an open mind. Her records are full of raw, emotive songs recounting her religious upbringing and her struggle to establish her identity. Favorite In 2005, Marta released Kill With A Look, Raising Holy Hell and Amnesia, reclaiming the independent spirit once again as the songs were licensed to movies and television shows around the world and continue to be played on international radio stations. These particular releases are considered by many reviewers to be her masterpieces. No less experimental than previous albums, her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style is refreshing from a production standpoint. Marta has created many concept albums exploring her alter ego as a femme fatal. Growing up in a very Protestant Christian traditional environment Marta admits, "I'm really just a kitten, but I found a lion in my alter ego". Finding that her alter ego could take the mass pornography, masochism, homophobia, sexism, ageism and misogyny in the U.S. better than a frail sensitive artist.
The increasingly personal tone of her writing continues with songs about; the interfaces with societies comfort and control; Many of her songs have a melodramatic and melancholic emotional and musical surrealism that defies easy categorization. The word "original" comes to mind. It has been observed that even the more joyous pieces are often tinged with traces of melancholy, and even the most sorrowful pieces have elements of vitality struggling against all that would oppress her. Marta is not afraid to tackle sensitive and taboo subjects. Her lyrics have referenced a wide array of subject matter, often relatively obscure which has influenced the gothic nature of several of her songs.
Marta Wiley is often compared to other individualistic female singer/songwriters such as Kate Bush, Bjork, Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Imogen Heap and Madonna. Magazines and reviews around the world have labeled her "a true original" by the Music and Art Industry standards (2007). Marta remains in the center of media attention with full rights to her music, in doing so Marta provides an example of how to maintain one's career in the entertainment industry.
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Marta Gottfried Wiley's art is an colorful, captivating, and varied as the artist herself. Born in Mexico City, Wiley is of European, Jewish descent. As a child, there was a wild streak in young Marta that her grandmother, also an artist, helped channel into the fine arts. Time and maturity have not stilled the childhood energy and verve of this artist. Wiley's passions run as deeply and soulfully as her dignified figurative creations.
My concerns are for the planet, the evolution of the human species, and the balance between the environment and those who are responsible for its continuation. I believe in being aware of personal actions and reactions in order to place the utmost responsibility on the individual. I believe in the individual as a source of ultimate manifestation - in balance and beauty with all living creatures. This is what turns me on the most - the ultimate attainment of the Highest Self - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
It seems that Wiley's quest for Highest Self has led down several avenues of expression. In addition to her poignant and intense concern for the environment, Wiley is a gifted singer and songwriter. Her inspirations follow varied paths - from the mystical and mythological experimental films of Maya Daren, to the far-reaching expanses of Carlos Castenada's writing to meditation and self-imposed discipline. These inspirations are all evidenced through her art - the dreamlike and alluring figurative, the romantic, fantastical quality of her settings, the bold texturing and decisive detailing. All combine to produce a piece that is equally seductive as contemplative.
Wiley credits her grandmother with teaching her everything she knows about painting. Her Mother and Father were exceptional parents, channeling and fueling her education in the Arts and in Music.
Launched her own company of 2000 paintings for poster publishing~2010
Launched 100 Albums into the International Community~2010
Launched her Books~2010
Launched her Acting Career/Comedy~2010
Launched her Photography~2010
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http://www.youtube.com/user/martawiley1
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http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/ring-light-the-death-carlos/id401743867?mt=11
http://www.blurb.com/user/Martawiley
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/marta-wiley/id30851746
Marta Studied Tai Chi & Martial Arts