In vividly colored drawings, ceramics, and woodwork, John Martin combines memories of his childhood on a farm in Mississippi with his present life in Oakland. Martin commonly depicts images of trucks, snakes, pocket knives, cell phones, and other items from his collection of found objects. His interpretations describe their function yet subvert practicality through his outrageous animal mash-ups, oversized Leatherman tools, and mysterious text. A wry sense of humor is evident in all his compositions, translating utilitarian imagery into a graphic and animated aesthetic. His wry sense of humor is evident in all his compositions, as he translates utilitarian imagery into a graphic and animated aesthetic.

John Martin was born in 1963 in Marks, MS, and has practiced at Creative Growth since 1986.

He has exhibited his work at the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art in Korea; the Diego Rivera Gallery in San Francisco, CA; Institute 193 in Lexington, KY; Duvel Moortgat Fund in Belgium, Brussels; the SFO Museum in San Francisco, CA; Guerrero Gallery in San Francisco. His work is currently on view in "Creative Growth: The House That Art Built" at the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, CA.

Martin's first monograph, "John Martin: Self Portrait," was published in 2024.