“The work is lyrical, light, and imbued with a sense of pleasure, if not a sustained moment of delirium — aspects that give Diamond’s paintings their unique visionary edge.” —Jan Avgikos, Artforum
“An intoxicating survey at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum makes her cityscapes seem like dispatches from some distant expedition.” —Ariella Budick, Financial Times
“We can only hope that Martha Diamond: Deep Time, a small but jaw-dropping survey now at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, will be the first step in her ascent into the upper reaches of art history.” —Will Heinrich, The New York Times
“What Frank Auerbach did for Camden Town, and Monet did for Paris, and De Chirico did for piazzas all over Italy, Diamond did for Manhattan.” —Jonathan Griffin, The New York Times
“Diamond romances the town in darting and slashing strokes. Her buildings, seen as if from the street, are as zestfully urbane as the perambulatory poems of Frank O’Hara. . . . Their dynamic is like a cross between John Marin’s watercolors of the city and Monet’s Rouen Cathedrals: giddily celebratory and drunk on daylight.” —Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker
Installation view, Martha Diamond: Deep Time, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, Conn., Nov. 17, 2024 - May 18, 2025. Center: Untitled, 1973. Right: Center City (Detail), 1982. Photo by Jeffrey Jenkins Projects
Selected Reviews and Press
2025 David Salle, “The Artists’ Artists: Martha Diamond”, Artforum
Portfolio: Martha Diamond, “Fall”, The Paris Review
Jan Avgikos, “Martha Diamond”, Artforum
Ian Cofré, “Martha Diamond: After Image”, The Brooklyn Rail
Johanna Fateman, “Our Critics’ Picks of the Moment / Martha Diamond”, Cultured
Ariella Budick, “Artist’s Cityscapes Are a Towering Achievement”, Financial Times
John Yau, “Martha Diamond Found Joy in Paint,” Hyperallergic
2024 Will Heinrich, “A Jaw-Dropping Show Gives Martha Diamond Her Due”, The New York Times
Grace Edquist, “Canvas the City: Martha Diamond Captured the Brisk Energy of Manhattan”, Vogue
Jorge S. Arango, “She said she painted her ‘perceptions.’ This is what Martha Diamond meant”, Portland Press Herald
Jonathan Griffin, “In Martha Diamond’s Art, She Took Manhattan”, The New York Times
Will Heinrich, “Martha Diamond, Painter Who Captured New York Vistas, Dies at 79”, The New York Times
“Martha Diamond, 1944-2023”, Artforum
2021 Will Heinrich, “3 Art Gallery Shows to See Right Now”, The New York Times
Chantal McStay, “See This: Glimpses of New York, Painted by Martha Diamond”, T: The New York Times Style Magazine
David Rhodes, “Martha Diamond: 1980-89”, The Brooklyn Rail
Canada Choate, “Martha Diamond on Painting New York”, Artforum
2020 Mark Westall, “In Her Hands, an Exhibition of Three Female ‘Painters’ Painters’ ”, FAD Magazine
2019 Jonathan Goodman, “Downtown Painting, Curated by Alex Katz”, The Brooklyn Rail
2018 Peter Schjeldahl, “Goings on About Town: Martha Diamond”, The New Yorker
Tom McGlynn, “Martha Diamond: Cityscapes”, The Brooklyn Rail
2016 Jonathan Goodman, “Martha Diamond”, The Brooklyn Rail
Stephen Maine, “Martha Diamond at Alexandre Gallery”, ARTnews
2013 Rabia Ashfaque, “The Redefining of the Defining: Martha Diamond’s Church Series”, Come Together: Surviving Sandy
2012 Ilka Skobie, “Diamond Bright: Martha Diamond at Sue Scott Gallery”, artcritical
2005 Joe Fyfe, “Martha Diamond at the New York Studio School”, Art in America
Joe Fyfe, “Martha Diamond / Essay”, New York Studio School
2004 Ilka Scobie, “A Hip Homage to New York”, artnet
2001 Ilka Scobie, “Urban Visionary”, artnet
1999 “Blue Cityscape,” print by Martha Diamond, Tampa Review
1995 “Painting Faculty”, At Cooper Union
1994 Michael Kimmelman, “Art in Review”, The New York Times
Vincent Katz, “Sky Scraper: A Studio Visit with Martha Diamond”, Paper
1992 Holland Cotter, “Art in Review”, The New York Times
1990 Bill Berkson, “Martha Diamond: Sensation Rising”, Artforum
Ruth Bass, “Martha Diamond,” ARTnews
1988 Roberta Smith, “Action in New Paintings by Martha Diamond”, The New York Times
Eileen Myles, “Martha Diamond at Robert Miller”, Art in America
Robert Mahoney, “Martha Diamond”, Arts Magazine
1985 John Russell, “New Paintings by Martha Diamond / Jasper Johns Prints”, The New York Times
Stephen Westfall, “Martha Diamond”, Arts Magazine
Holland Cotter, “Martha Diamond”, Flash Art
Edmund Leites, “Martha Diamond at Brooke Alexander”, Art in America
1984 Barbara Moynehan, “Artist’s Loft Two: Martha Diamond”, Domus
“Two Paintings by Martha Diamond”, Bomb #9
Stephen Westfall, “Martha Diamond”, Arts Magazine
Alan Wintermute, “Martha Diamond: Brooke Alexander”, Flash Art
1983 Grace Glueck, “Martha Diamond”, The New York Times
“City Suite by Martha Diamond”, Bomb #8
1982 “Two Paintings by Martha Diamond”, Bomb #4
Roberta Smith, “Four Formulas in Flux”, The Village Voice
Grace Glueck, “The Artist’s Artists”, ARTnews
Stephen Westfall, “Martha Diamond’s Urban Vision”, Arts Magazine
1981 John Russell, “Martha Diamond”, The New York Times
1978 Lee Edwards, “Martha Diamond”, Arts Magazine
1976 Carter Ratcliff, “The Paint Thickens”, Artforum