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Christopher Martin S.O.S. (SINK OR SWIM), 2021
$3,800.00
Christopher Martin
S.O.S. (Sink or Swim), 2021
Acrylic on linen banner
147in x 58.5in
Christopher Martin’s S.O.S. (Sink or Swim) (2021) is a powerful visual and conceptual statement — a distilled cry for awareness and survival rendered with striking graphic clarity. The work presents the universally recognized distress signal “S.O.S.” in bold, rounded typography across a stark black-and-white field. Simple yet commanding, the composition fuses minimal design with urgent emotion, transforming language into a symbol of both danger and resilience.
The phrase S.O.S. carries a dual resonance in Martin’s hands: while rooted in the international maritime distress code, it also functions metaphorically as a call for collective consciousness. Sink or swim becomes a meditation on choice — whether personal, environmental, or societal — and the necessity of action in times of crisis.
Executed during a period marked by global uncertainty and transformation, the work speaks to the universal human condition: the tension between despair and hope, collapse and endurance. The clean contrast between black and white underscores this duality, evoking both warning and purity, chaos and calm.
As with much of Martin’s practice, S.O.S. (Sink or Swim) merges visual economy with philosophical weight. The banner format recalls protest signage and maritime flags, situating the work between communication and contemplation. Martin invites viewers to confront their own response to the call — to ask whether they are merely observing the signal, or answering it.
Minimal in form but monumental in message, S.O.S. (Sink or Swim) encapsulates Martin’s ongoing exploration of clarity, consciousness, and the fragile balance between survival and surrender in the modern world.