Both well-known artists in their own right – Rowena Martinich for her abstract expressionism and Geoffrey Carran for his more representational style – it was a natural progression for the husband and wife team to also become partners in work.
Launching Martinich&Carran, their energetic and colourful artworks have now leapt off the canvas and onto a selection of limited edition affordable prints and homewares. Featuring the signature vibrancy that is so celebrated in their paintings and large-scale public art, the homewares make their work more accessible to a wider audience.
“Our mutual attraction to colour serves as a thread that ties our two distinct styles together,” explains Rowena. “We both thrive on scale and impact, and the way it can transform a space. This extends to exploring how our two practices translate into different products. It’s a fun extension – creating a range of textiles or objects that combine our work into something new.”
Their online store features a selection of limited edition prints, alongside velvet-backed Belgian linen quilts, 100% cotton pillowcases, double-sided cushions, 100% silk scarves and hand painted indoor pots and woven baskets – all based on the designs of their original artworks. Asked to pick a favourite, for Geoffrey, it’s the hand-painted pots and woven baskets: “Each one is unique and a collectable artwork in itself. They really pop and every time I look at them I see something new.”
Outside of the collaboration the Melbourne duo are busy, primarily painting murals, which bring to life building facades, retail shopfronts, commercial interiors and community spaces. They’re also continuously developing their skills, with Rowena starting to paint on the floor rather than her studio wall: “This way I am able to use larger brushes – like brooms and mops – to push large pools of paint around on the canvas. I get to walk amongst the paintings and use my whole body in the painting of giant brushstrokes.”
While their styles differ dramatically, their work shares a vibrancy of movement and colour that often blurs the line between art and design; ideal for unique, limited edition homewares.
