Matthew Gallagher
Gretchen, Iron and Acrylic - 8.5" x 8.5" x 8.5", 2020
Matthew Gallagher’s work sits both decidedly within and defiantly outside art historical context, displaying critical knowledge of and homage to their artistic antecedents while staking new paths in every direction. Their work deals in contemporary and timeless inquiry, asking questions about perception, the universe, and forces we cannot see, alongside sharp interrogation of the art world, how art is consumed, and what it means to be an artist in the 21st century. Gallagher's multidisciplinary work extends beyond various mediums and formats; it is entangled in their life, community practices, and care for their pet cats and snakes. Gallagher works not only with paint, resin and inks, but also with people, supporting boundary-pushing experimental performance and sound artists at their studio and living space, R & D, which offers residencies and performance opportunities to local, national and international artists.
Since 2011 I have been using self-developed methods to collaborate with the phenomena of physics, chemistry and mathematics to create art. Each piece is formed as the gradual or instantaneous result of a chemical reaction, as the aftermath of one large gesture, or as the exposition of a mathematical concept. I make objects that provide an account of how they are made, presenting an alternative to understanding science through the abstract language of math. The most beautiful, complex, and magical things I have ever seen were not created by humans, but by the interconnectedness of energy, matter, and the inherent organization of our universe--nature, in a word. It is my mission to mix my self-expression with the expression of natural forms through processes that provide another perspective on the astonishing beauty of the forces that surround and comprise us, too often taken for granted. www.matthew-gallagher.com Click here for: Matthew Gallagher Exhibition Video, courtesy Hedge Gallery |