4 Vases
Like so many of us, I met Matt at an art show. Through art, we got to know one another a bit, but not as much as could have been. A singular force in a burgeoning local art scene, Matty was a champion of every creative he came in contact with. Generous with his time and energy, he was always there for an opening, quick with an introduction to whoever he knew with whomever else he knew, and inclusive in a way few are. "Have you heard about x"? "Are you going to apply for the y show/opportunity"? "Are you familiar with z's work"? Most knew him through the Sketch clubs he founded and persist today, people brought together by Matt and his love for all things collaborative and creative.
This is generally a busy time of year for artists, as the weather turns and things begin to happen. Outdoor events, gallery openings and shows, group opportunities. And we lost Matt, right at this time. And it all felt a little duller. A little more isolating and exposing. Raw. I wish i had known him personally better, been able to more quickly identify and counter some of his personal struggle, whatever he was going through. Let some pressure off the valves and get him to a better place. I miss his energy and feel, a stark contrast to my own sometimes.
We had plans. Every time we ran into each other, we'd talk about the same thing. I truly respected his work, and I hope he was a fan of mine. He told me as much, anyway, but I think he said that to everyone. The plan was to begin a piece, exchange it, and finish the other's work. We also talked about a "call and response" idea, where we'd agree on a topic/subject, make a piece, look at each other's work, and "respond" not in words, but with a piece of our own, like having a conversation with images. I would have liked to have that conversation.
After he passed, his family and friends had a retrospective sale/open gallery at Ginko, where Matt spent his last creative days. There, among his things and people, I found a portfolio of some marker sketches he had done on paper. Pretty sure they were just ideas, quick thoughts about floral arrangements and shapes, an area of significant artistic overlap between us, and I grabbed them. Paper assemblage is my wheelhouse, and I saw the opportunity to follow through with just a little of what we had in the works. This is that piece. The marker lines are all him, the composition of the thing is largely inspired by him, and I hope I have done him proud. I saved one drawing, just for me, unaltered. I lament it is unsigned.
We carry Matt with us.
Like so many of us, I met Matt at an art show. Through art, we got to know one another a bit, but not as much as could have been. A singular force in a burgeoning local art scene, Matty was a champion of every creative he came in contact with. Generous with his time and energy, he was always there for an opening, quick with an introduction to whoever he knew with whomever else he knew, and inclusive in a way few are. "Have you heard about x"? "Are you going to apply for the y show/opportunity"? "Are you familiar with z's work"? Most knew him through the Sketch clubs he founded and persist today, people brought together by Matt and his love for all things collaborative and creative.
This is generally a busy time of year for artists, as the weather turns and things begin to happen. Outdoor events, gallery openings and shows, group opportunities. And we lost Matt, right at this time. And it all felt a little duller. A little more isolating and exposing. Raw. I wish i had known him personally better, been able to more quickly identify and counter some of his personal struggle, whatever he was going through. Let some pressure off the valves and get him to a better place. I miss his energy and feel, a stark contrast to my own sometimes.
We had plans. Every time we ran into each other, we'd talk about the same thing. I truly respected his work, and I hope he was a fan of mine. He told me as much, anyway, but I think he said that to everyone. The plan was to begin a piece, exchange it, and finish the other's work. We also talked about a "call and response" idea, where we'd agree on a topic/subject, make a piece, look at each other's work, and "respond" not in words, but with a piece of our own, like having a conversation with images. I would have liked to have that conversation.
After he passed, his family and friends had a retrospective sale/open gallery at Ginko, where Matt spent his last creative days. There, among his things and people, I found a portfolio of some marker sketches he had done on paper. Pretty sure they were just ideas, quick thoughts about floral arrangements and shapes, an area of significant artistic overlap between us, and I grabbed them. Paper assemblage is my wheelhouse, and I saw the opportunity to follow through with just a little of what we had in the works. This is that piece. The marker lines are all him, the composition of the thing is largely inspired by him, and I hope I have done him proud. I saved one drawing, just for me, unaltered. I lament it is unsigned.
We carry Matt with us.
Like so many of us, I met Matt at an art show. Through art, we got to know one another a bit, but not as much as could have been. A singular force in a burgeoning local art scene, Matty was a champion of every creative he came in contact with. Generous with his time and energy, he was always there for an opening, quick with an introduction to whoever he knew with whomever else he knew, and inclusive in a way few are. "Have you heard about x"? "Are you going to apply for the y show/opportunity"? "Are you familiar with z's work"? Most knew him through the Sketch clubs he founded and persist today, people brought together by Matt and his love for all things collaborative and creative.
This is generally a busy time of year for artists, as the weather turns and things begin to happen. Outdoor events, gallery openings and shows, group opportunities. And we lost Matt, right at this time. And it all felt a little duller. A little more isolating and exposing. Raw. I wish i had known him personally better, been able to more quickly identify and counter some of his personal struggle, whatever he was going through. Let some pressure off the valves and get him to a better place. I miss his energy and feel, a stark contrast to my own sometimes.
We had plans. Every time we ran into each other, we'd talk about the same thing. I truly respected his work, and I hope he was a fan of mine. He told me as much, anyway, but I think he said that to everyone. The plan was to begin a piece, exchange it, and finish the other's work. We also talked about a "call and response" idea, where we'd agree on a topic/subject, make a piece, look at each other's work, and "respond" not in words, but with a piece of our own, like having a conversation with images. I would have liked to have that conversation.
After he passed, his family and friends had a retrospective sale/open gallery at Ginko, where Matt spent his last creative days. There, among his things and people, I found a portfolio of some marker sketches he had done on paper. Pretty sure they were just ideas, quick thoughts about floral arrangements and shapes, an area of significant artistic overlap between us, and I grabbed them. Paper assemblage is my wheelhouse, and I saw the opportunity to follow through with just a little of what we had in the works. This is that piece. The marker lines are all him, the composition of the thing is largely inspired by him, and I hope I have done him proud. I saved one drawing, just for me, unaltered. I lament it is unsigned.
We carry Matt with us.