Martha Sturdy — POSTERCHILD

Martha Sturdy is a visual artist based in Vancouver, BC. Over her remarkably lengthy career, which spans nearly five decades, she has held many titles: jewellery artist, furniture designer, painter and sculptor. Lifelong fans will tell you: her name is synonymous with West Coast design. Her enduring minimalist aesthetic and commitment to specific materials (brass, resin, steel, aluminum) have transcended the various mediums she has mastered over the decades. The demand is still high for many of the iconic design works that Martha began to market decades ago. Yet, in a recent public statement, the Sturdy family announced the forthcoming closure of Studio Sturdy, the artist’s acclaimed homewares line. We sat down with Martha in her Mount Pleasant studio (where our editor-in-chief worked from 2020-2021) to learn more about her recent life updates, discuss her transition to focus on sculpture and enviously gaze at her signature platform shoes.

Upon arrival, we are greeted by Martha, her daughter Jessica and a 9-week-old black lab, Monty. Monty sprints from one side of Martha’s chic, minimalist office to the other, splashing water around on the floor from his bowl, looking impossibly cute. Martha bends over and scoops him up with zero hesitation, laughing at his silly puppy antics. We settle into her black leather club chairs. Between us, a Studio Sturdy resin tray holds an array of scones and sits atop a striped resin side table. These pieces will soon be rare collector’s items, they might even be housed in an art museum, but for now, they function solely to hold our breakfast.

PC: What's your life looking like these days?

MS: Well, I just added some craziness to it, of course, with a baby (Monty). I've had comments like, “Martha, you're 81. What the hell do you want a baby for?”. But I look at it like this: I plan to live 20 more years. Dogs live 12-15 years max. So that's good timing! My horse is 21, so in 10 years, it’ll probably be a logical time not to ride. I'm still loving going out with the horses. The best part of my life is letting myself really be involved in nature on a lot of levels.

PC: You've always had such a deep relationship with nature and your environment. I want to talk about Forest Door. I saw it on your Instagram—loved it. Tell me what it’s all about?

MS: I'm going to do a bunch of them. This is one I took this week.

(Martha shows us a photo of a translucent, green door in the middle of a dense forest on her phone).

MS: The colour is like fake green. It's fake green because of the sun. These are gateways to my forest. I'm going to put gates all around, in various colours. They're not really gates, they don't open. But it's like, this is the entrance to this part of the woods. The forest has so many things to offer, the gates make you stop and look.

I have to take responsibility for the fact that I walk through the woods, oblivious, myself. We’re all working and stressed people with ambition and commitment or whatever it is, and we never have time off. Except if you go to bed, but then you go to sleep because you’ve got a commitment. I'm that person. I'm on a driver and who knows why I am? But I am. I'm 81, and I should be going, okay, slow down, stop…

PC: But that's not your nature.

MS: It's not interesting!

PC: No, it's not interesting. It sounds like you're still going pretty full speed ahead at this point.

MS: Sometimes I wish I wasn’t. It's exhausting!

PC: It is exhausting! But it’s you! When I worked here, I remember you were so passionate about shifting entirely to your sculpture work. That was where you always felt most at home. How does it feel now that your focus is there?

MS: When we announced that we weren't going to be doing any more Studio Sturdy, a lot of people got upset. We've had multiple orders for that part of the company, but it all ends in the next few months. You can't just stop it, you know? You have material, you have supplies, you have staff who have worked for you for 35-40 years. You can't just say “bye”. I have a commitment to them. If you walk through here, they're all here. Still here.

But I, personally, am only committed to [sculpture], and it's interesting because I'm learning new things. But I have the same old problem that I've had before in life when I did wearable sculpture. Then I did tabletop. Then I did furniture. And I'm “not an artist”. Really? I think that's wrong. I think I am an artist. I know that I am solely going to be where I choose to be. I have integrity. I believe in what I'm doing.

PC: And what are you doing now?

MS: Well, I was asked to do a show at the West Vancouver Art Museum and from that, I got invited to do the Harmony Arts Festival.

When I was at the West Vancouver Art Museum, I had some students who were in their maybe 14 to 17 age group come and see my show. They were all talking about how [life is] futile, the world's turning to shit… I said, well, I am an optimist. I have to be, that's how I live my life. I have to believe that human beings are smart enough to figure it out. I have to, that's the way I believe.

So when I talked to these children, I said, you know, you can do little things…You can do a lot. Even just picking up your bloody bubblegum, your candy wrapper, your bottle of water or those cigarette butts. There are so many ways we can do little things.

Am I perfect? No. Do I make mistakes? Absolutely. So they asked me after the West Van show, one of the women who met me, who is part of the festival, [asked if] would I consider doing the Harmony Arts Festival.

I said, "Okay." Then I thought about it, and I decided to do a thing called One World. The other show was All Fall Down. Now I'm doing One World. It’s a cube that is four feet by four feet, but the cube is standing on its side, and then on the cube is a ball that looks like it's gonna fall over. It's one world that we have to figure out.

I'm just making my things on my own path. This is just strictly me thinking my way. I want to make a difference. I think it's my responsibility because people my age can just fade away. I'm not going to do that. There's gonna come a time when Martha’s gonna have to stop and behave herself.

PC: The cubes are a recurring theme in your sculpture work. I remember them from Balanced/Unbalanced. What’s that one all about?

MS: What it's about is this: In life, you can take your ‘cubes’ and line them up. You live your life that way? So. Freakin’. Boring. To be full, you have to have the unbalance. Being unbalanced is important. Life's very short. The more you fill your life with everything, the richer it'll be.

Martha Sturdy, *Balanced/Unbalanced #210114,* 2021

PC: I think so many of us are scared to be out of order, step off the path, go off script. You’re not afraid to be unbalanced. I think that’s something that’s always been really represented in your footwear, actually. I've always been a big admirer of your style. I think it's so indicative of what kind of person you are.

I remember the times when you’d come into the studio in a jumpsuit covered in paint. And then the next day, you’d come in a head-to-toe Marni outfit and amazing platform shoes. I remember you’d get up on top of the worktable in your platforms. I think it just goes to show you're not afraid of falling down in those things. It's not a big deal to you.

MS: You learn to walk with them. It’s as simple as that. I find that when people look at how you dress, it makes them happier. Or maybe it makes them not happier. At least it makes them think—that's a positive too.

PC: Making people think is more important than making people happy. So, are you still standing on tables in platforms?

MS: Well, I know I was standing on a stool that had wheels. In the platforms, of course, but I was holding on to the wall. I'm still [horse] jumping. You've got to be somewhat crazy to do that. People will say, “Oh, you’re still riding?” Oh, yes, of course, I'm still doing stupid things.

LM: Not stupid, bold!

MS: Yes. And adventuresome. Always adventuresome. This is the part that makes you think: how am I really doing? I kind of go: well, the dog gets up at 5 AM, but I find myself listing and thinking about what I can do at about 4 AM and I get excited inside as to where I'm going next. I'm not going, oh, God, it's gonna be morning soon. I'm like, let's see what can I do now.

This morning, I got out of bed quietly because I didn't want to wake the dog and I didn't want to wake my husband. So I took my phone and listed all the things that I had to achieve that day. Totally insane.

One World will be on view at the Harmony Arts Festival from August 4th-13th, 2023.

Learn more about Martha’s work via her website and be sure to follow her on Instagram.

AT 81, MARTHA STURDY WILL NOT BE SLOWING DOWN

DESIGNING FOR IMPERMANENCE WITH TYLER HARVEY