Antonio Jacob Martinez

Antonio Jacob Martinez is an Associate Professor of Photography/Intermedia Arts and Head of Undergraduate Studies at Southern Illinois University (SIU). He holds an M.F.A. from East Carolina University and a B.F.A. in Painting from Creighton University. His interdisciplinary work merges traditional and digital imaging techniques, focusing on themes like violence/intimacy in mixed martial arts (MMA), anonymous genetic donors, and experimental processes like wet-plate collodion and AI imaging.

Research highlights include the How to Hug and Other Sublimations of Men series, exploring MMA through photography and post-production breakthroughs, exhibited at KlompChing Gallery (Brooklyn, 2016) and Gallery One of One (Seattle). His recent Anonymous Parents project uses quilt-making to visualize donor-conceived identities, displayed at the KANEKO center (Omaha, 2022).

He actively advises student organizations, coordinates photography initiatives, and co-founded the Southern Illinois Film Commission. Technical innovations include combining cyanotypes, glycerin transfers, and AI with archival imagery. His work is showcased at antoniojacobmartinez.com.