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Mark Anthony Martinez
Reverse Cowboy
Opening Date: September 4, 2026
Closing Date: November 6, 2026
Exhibit Opening Reception: Friday, September 4, 2026, 5-8pm
Closing Reception: Friday, November 6, 2026, 5-8 pm
Location: cactus BARN
On view by appointment:
September 4 - November 6, 2026
Please call - 210-872-2364 for an appointment
Reverse Cowboy is a solo exhibition by Mark Anthony Martinez, where the artist questions the mythos of the west. An interactive multimedia exhibition, the show draws a metaphorical line in the sand, wherein Martinez invites his audience to “shoot” a cowboy.
The artist himself, named after the fictional son of the titular television character, The Rifleman (ABC 1958-1963) – Martinez, expresses the cognitive dissonance of someone who is ostensibly "MEXICAN" but named after an unambiguously white and western protagonist.
In essence Martinez examines the assimilation process and questions if it is at all possible to reverse such a devastating force. Featuring original footage, incorporating the usage of a classic NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) Zapper – the exhibition asks the audience to consider their own relationship to the mythology of the west.
Martinez invites the audience to do unto the cowboy what has been wrought upon the “west” through settler colonial violence vis-à-vis manifest destiny and Hollywood projection.
cactusbarn.org @cactusbarn2023 @markanthonymartinezstudio
Artist Website: https://markanthonymartinez.art/
Also exhibiting on bitti’sGAMBREL
Mark Anthony Martinez
RGB duck shapes
When I was very young, I was introduced to the Nintendo Entertainment System, my very first game console.
One of the earliest gaming experiences I can recall, came in the form of the light gun activated video game; Duck Hunt.
And while it still eludes me how the television set and game console communicated; the input mechanics of a single button press, in this case, a trigger pull – was extremely easy to understand. Pull the trigger, earn points. Pulling the trigger killed the ducks on screen.
Separate from the interior, here on “Bitti’sGAMBREL”, I’m using the shape and color of the “Duck Hunt” ducks to allude to the exhibition within the cactusBarn itself.
cactusbarn.org @cactusbarn2023 @markanthonymartinezstudio
bitti's GAMBREL can be seen anytime by walking by 613 Mission Street
cactusBARN is an independent artist run exhibition space that is located in the King
William neighborhood. Established by Leigh Anne Lester and Jayne Lawrence in 2023.
Gallery Website: www.cactusbarn.org
Instagram: @cactusbarn2023
Email: info@cactusbraspace.com
Image: Mark Anthony Martinez, Reverse Cowboy, 2026
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