Martin was born in Macklin (CA) in 1912 and passed away in Taos (US) in 2004. After studying at Western Washington University College of Education, she received her B.A. degree from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1942. After graduation, she worked as an art instructor while studying at the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque, then returned to Columbia University and received her master’s degree in 1952. In the late 1950s, Martin moved to New York City, where she encountered her confidants Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Indiana, Barnett Newman, and Ad Reinhardt, and she was right in the midst of the art trends of Pop Art, Abstract Expressionism, Color Field painting and minimal art (Minimalism). Although Martin consistently expressed a spiritual similarity to Abstract Expressionism, her works evoke the ideas typical of Minimalism. In particular, her geometric abstract works with horizontal lines and grids from the 1960s onwards have cemented Martin's reputation. Her ascetic style was influenced in no small part by her studies of Eastern philosophies during her time at Columbia University, especially when studying Buddhism and Zen through D.T. Suzuki's special lectures. Martin has commented on her own works as “have neither object nor space nor line nor anything - no forms”. This statement symbolizes her artistic spirit in which her works have completely broken away from form and physicality while remaining abstract in both conceptuality and in her paintings. Martin has been featured in countless international exhibitions and significant art shows. Her artworks are in collection of museums around the world, solidifying her status as one of the supreme painters of the period from Abstract Expressionism to Minimalism. Martin is undoubtedly a master of 20th-century contemporary art.