calendario eventi  :: 

X

31/3/2010

Matt Campbell

Gallery Hanahou, New York

Opening April 1st, Out of the Black is a solo show of new works by artist and creative director Matt Campbell. It is the artist’s international debut of the series.

In the artist's words: "This work embodies the state of mankind today and our imprint on the planet. We take natural resources and create garbage and pollution. We invade the habitats of other life forms and take them over and drive them out. We know it’s bad but we can’t stop - because we love all the cool shiny new stuff we make. We love technology - we love Tuna and we just want to keep eating it."

The creatures in this show have been all been created, loved, abandoned and finally entombed in a symbolic black rubber skin. Wrenched out of the blue (the natural living world) and thrown into the black (the artificial or “dead” world that we create).

They are sad but also, simultaneously, shiny and attractive. They possess an iconic beauty despite their bedraggled state. They’re Cute yet Dark - whimsical but cynical. It's curious that we’re attracted to this interesting mix of characteristics. Is it to do with our conflicted nature? We love to create and marvel at life - but even the smallest child, male or female, instinctively revels in destruction and curiously kills a bug out of wonder.

The show is called Out of the Black because Matt remains hopeful that we’re all now collectively heading somewhat in new direction away from our dark past.

Matt Campbell has been producing personal and commercial artwork for 25 years. Originally from New Zealand, he spent the early nineties in Japan working for companies like Hysteric Glamour and Mini before he moved to NYC in 1994.

Matt Started out as a comic artist but soon took up illustration and later animation. However, personal art has always been a passion and no matter what he was doing for a living, Matt has always found time for his own art. Matt has exhibited widely in NZ and in 1997 had a solo show at the Rocket Gallery in Aoyama, Tokyo - his old stomping ground. Since then he has staged several solo shows including Greedy Gas Guzzlers at the Riviera and also at Zakka in NYC in 2003. As a founding partner of the Riviera Gallery in Williamsburg Brooklyn, Matt has curated and staged numerous shows from 2003 - 2008.

Matt's recent multi media work, painting, sculpture and printmaking etc, explores themes mostly concerned with consumerism and pop culture and the subsequent impact on, and alienation from, the natural environment. This show, "Out of the Black," is a continuation and perhaps his ultimate expression of the Human race vs. the natural environment.

http://www.outoftheblack.org
Press Inquiries: pr@cultureshockmarketing.com

Opening April 1st 2010 from 7 - 9 pm

Gallery Hanahou
611 Broadway, Suite 730, NYC
[7th Floor of the Cable Building, NW corner of Broadway + Houston]
Mon-Fri noon-6 pm, Sat by appt only

stampa

permanent link