Interview with Matthew Quick #conceptualrealiam #revisionisthistory #monumentalnobodies
“My objective as an artist lies in telling a story in just one image. ”
Matthew flirted with a few careers before painting. Working variously as a designer, art-director, lecturer & writer, his first novel was short-listed for the Vogel Literary Award. Featured in BRW as one of Australia’s top 50 artists, he’s won or been a finalist in more than 70 national art awards, including the Sulman Prize, the Doug Moran and the Mosman. Researched and thought-provoking, his meticulously rendered work plays on myths and traditional tales, often juxtaposed with the surreal nature of our current reality.
Q&A
What concept or narrative is behind your work?
I utilise a conceptual approach to reveal the pressing issues of society by subverting iconic symbol of power with gentle humour. I adapt major sculptural works and public monuments with recognisable iconic embellishments to create new narratives that confound the intentions of the original sculpture.
What is your ultimate goal for your artwork?
My work makes reference to individual freedom, social control and surveillance, the deceitful behaviour of rulers who intentionally fail to act as they speak. It is my intention to provide a record of the now, with all its flaws and idiosyncrasies, so that future viewers might glean an understanding of society's evolving values at this particular juncture in history.
What turns has your art career taken?
From my beginnings as an illustrator, I moved into design, advertising, writing novels, and painting. I'm now in the process of sculpting and casting large bronzes based upon my painting concepts.
What artwork in history has inspired you the most?
Cahill Expressway by Jeffrey Smart, which depicts a one armed man standing alone beside a deserted freeway. What's great about this work (and for that matter most of Smart's work) is that it invites the viewer to ask questions and postulate answers. Why is the man alone? Why is the city deserted? How did he lose the arm? This is a painting that initiates a story and asks the viewer to complete it. This was demonstrated when Penguin books published Expressway: a collection of 29 Australian writers who created stories based upon the painting.
