There are two things I wish to achieve in my work. The first is to create a beautiful painting. The second is to bring attention to the illusion of that painting. The tension between these two things is a metaphor for the tenuous nature of our lives and and for mystery, the intangible lying below the surface. In one way this is a metaphor for our lives. We are always moving forward moment to moment and are never quite finished ourselves. Parts of our lives are always broken and incomplete. Mistakes are covered but not perfectly. But in a greater sense it is a metaphor for mystery. The surface is tenuous. There is more beyond what we can sense and measure. My goal in painting is to provide a glimpse of that mystery, that deeper beauty. Is this a lot to ask from a painting? Probably. Is knowing any of this about my thoughts and intentions necessary to enjoy the paintings? No. However, searching for mystery below the surface is what fuels my desire to paint.
Matthew's ArtPrize Entries
These are Matthew's official ArtPrize entries from this year and past years.
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Big Lake Summer
2012 ArtPrize Entry Matthew Plescher