This year’s exhibition has been dedicated to Martin Salmon – a talented artist, the RCA lighting technician and our dear friend. Martin, a dedicated member of the HIDDEN show team, sadly passed away earlier this year.
Martin was the Technical Instructor for Electrical and Lighting at Royal College of Art and had a background in theatre lighting. Martin worked with hundreds of students over the course of his 16 years at the RCA, bringing life to their final show projects. He has been an integral member of the HIDDEN team throughout its duration – lighting and curating the exhibited works.
Martin was also a talented artist and photographer with a fascination for light and colour. His rich and colourful practice stretches from brightly lit sculptures to evocative landscape photography, often taking inspiration from the stunning sunsets out of his flat window. His innovative and quirky light sculptures were a highlight at HIDDEN shows, creating a magical contrast within the gallery.
Martin began his career as an in-house lighting technician at several theatres in London, working on major shows including Evita, Chess, Anything Goes, and Some Like It Hot. Martin went on to join the RCA in 2005 and continued to develop his lighting practice.
Martin was sadly diagnosed with cancer in 2020. Over the course of the past year Martin has documented his battle with cancer and his treatment in an online blog which can be read here: neoplasmmyjourney.live-website.com. Martin has left us with a collection of writing and photographs that not only detail his final year but are an insight into many moments scattered throughout his life.
Martin will be sorely missed by everyone at the RCA.
