washington st.

Comment

Comment by Resident Curator on March 9, 2021 at 9:07am

Curator’s Comments:  

 

Matt, I thought I could recognize your work a mile away, but this piece came up randomly on the site today and it didn’t immediately bring recognition. The lush scrawling lines turning in on themselves that I appreciate in your signature gestural works have given way in Washington St. to an unexpected restraint. I see this piece was created back in 2012, but I’m glad for the opportunity to revisit it today outside the context of your portfolio.  The variation in the small articulated red bricks slow down the visual movement in the composition considerably, but strike a balance between order and chaos as they tilt and sway within their architectural structures. The more painterly gray background is subdued, but suggests a gritty urban landscape. The lack of windows in the Washington St. buildings denies visual rest within the bricks, but also animates them as solid, unyielding forms rather than open edifice. The large scale of the piece likely increases the visual tension, as the viewer can’t ground themselves in the scene. I do hope you continue to post new works to the site.