Artistaday

I have the great honor of being featured on artistaday.com today... feel free to rate my work and comment on it there.

Temporary Structures

Currently, I am alternating between 3 paintings and a dozen more ideas... 1 of the paintings in progress taps into a layering varnish technique I have been developing "off scene"... and explores a very surreal direction, studying the possibilities of the paint, subject matter and focusing primarily how light penetrates through the layers. But anyhow... here it is, "All Structures are Unstable..." ~ inspired by the words of Eckhart Tolle and music of 311 ( specifically their song "Weightless" off of their new album "Universal Pulse" ) - Oil on Canvas - 12" x 12" - still in progress.

"The New Lost Generation"

"Dystopia"

beinArt Collective Group exhibition 'Dystopia' at Copro Gallery.

Guest Curator: Jon Beinart

Chaos and ruin. Technological trends corrupting. Deformation, anatomical abnormalities, degradation and displacement. Whether related to the human body and spirit or the human environment, it is the 'anti' utopia.

The theme of this show, 'Dystopia', will place the viewer in a fictional world where personal and societal fears can be explored. Whether figuratively or more literally, the participating artists will present their own interpretation of 'Dystopia'.

Presenting the works of over 50 international artists including: Kris Kuksi, Chris Mars, Paul Booth, Chet Zar, Viktor Safonkin, Laurie Lipton, David Bowers, Dariusz Zawadzki, Peter Gric, Matthew Bone, Jean Labourdette Turf One, Paul Rumsey, William Hand, Heather Nevay, Ray Donley, Christian Van Minnen, Dan Quintana, Ben Tolman, Karl Persson, Beau White, Macsorro, Matt Martin, Sandra Yagi, Carrie Ann Baade, Stephanie Henderson, Heidi Taillefer, David Choquette, Scott G Brooks, Naoto Hattori, Michael Ryan, Leslie Ditto, Larkin, Chrystal Chan, Jeff Christensen, Cam De Leon, Christopher Ulrich, Matt Dangler, Brian Viveros, Chris Peters, Yu Sugawara, Santiago Caruso, Rachel Bess, Mark Powell, Brian Smith, Ivan Titor, Jason John, Jon Jaylo, Pamela Wilson, James Zar, Vincent Cacciotti, Pedro De Kastro & Jon Beinart.

Kris Kuksi and Laurie Lipton will be signing copies of their books at the opening reception.

Each artist has been selected for their ability to express themselves imaginatively with exceptional technique and uncompromising individuality. The beinArt Surreal Art Collective is testimony to a huge international movement of figurative artists who have resisted current trends in the art world and remained true to their artistic vision.

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 19th - 8:00 - 11:30 pm.
Exhibit runs from March 19th - April 9th 2011.

CoproGallery
Bergamot Station
2525 Michigan Ave,
Unit T5, Santa Monica,
CA 90404, USA.
Ph: 1.310.829.2156

beinArt Collective: http://beinart.org
CoproGalery: http://copronason.com

My piece for the show:

9" x 12"
Oil on Masonite
( email info@RecoatDesign.com for availability )

A Silent Ceremony...

... So here we are, embarking a new year... a systematic rebirth if you will... and it certainly will be for me. Delving internally to become aware of what it is I want to express in my artwork... of how I want to express it... what style of painting best suites the subject matter, and is most fun to pursue... and so on and so forth. I wrestle with life... I demand integrity... I deprive sleep with passion. Cheers to a healthy 2011 and unveiling a little more of consciousness.

Pssttt...

"Honey Hoarder" painting detail... full painting coming Tuesday. Email preview@wwagallery.com for a preview of all of the artwork to be on display Dec. 10th "Subtleties of Character" show.

God Scout

The Honey Hoarder

Here is what's soon to be painted,

"The Honey Hoarder"



For the "Subtleties of Character" show Dec. 10th:

Crispy Leaves

Well here we are feeling the crisp air again... I can't believe little pumpkins and white sheets with eyes are scattered through the town... time certainly doesn't wait for me, I can tell you that... another week goes by and it'll be Christmas. A good reason to have the will power to create and do whatever it is you gotta do, today... because tomorrow is an unproductive day, it always is.

This last weekend held a most interesting event. I met some really great people, as well as chatting with a few friends I hadn't seen for a while. Twas quite surreal having a conversation holding fort in the middle of the aisle, while Batman and Hellboy give dirty looks... in the midst of the many mostly naked teen girls, that seem to use the event to pick up 80 pound super heros. Thanks to Metro Orange Art for having me aboard, for quality prints and respect. Artist Leslie Ditto and her husband Gerry provided most of the great conversation and genuine support. If you aren't familiar with Leslie's work, you are certainly in for a treat. Oh yeah, and her prints nearly sold out at this Comic Con... so you're going to want to check them out before they're all gone.

I also have an awesome show coming up... curated by an artist I feel very fortunate to have befriended, Dan Barry. He put together an impressive line up of artists and has taken extra care to motivate and encourage the best out of all participants. You're not going to want to miss this one. I'll be painting a most gluttonous hoarder of honey for the show... revisiting my whacky enchanted blurred background style, but with a new level of imagination and detail. I'll also be sending out a few drawings and a fully oil painted polymer sculpture... stay tuned.



I've also delved deeper into the world of sculpture... ultimately preparing myself for a character design portfolio, ideally shooting for the film industry as well as video games etc. These 2 guys were put together in Sculpey and stand about 4" tall. I plan on fully rendering them in Oil paint using the same methodology used within my 2d paintings.



... Also, be sure to catch Jason Limon's show over at Bold Hype Gallery this month... he's really taken his world into a new more sophisticated dimension that I'm really fond of.

Cheers -

Wading the Dark Shores

Block Island is such an incredible place. It's like walking around a giant garden... that's placed atop mystical cliffs that overlook the ocean. How fortunate I am to be able to experience the surf fishing there with some of the best the sport has to offer. Surfcasters that swim out to boulders and submerged rocks throughout the night to fish distant drop offs and currents that hold big fish... only armed with dull red head lamps, a wet suit and balls of steel. As much as I'm humbled by their techniques, I'm intrigued and determined to push myself to their level. There's a degree of insanity when thinking about it logically... but put your thoughts into the mind of one of these anglers of the night, and you'll find courage, determination, strength, wisdom, spirituality... and that calm of accomplishment... finding your rock that keeps you stable within a place you have no control over. It is all about finding the one... that one giant that lurks the depths... outsmarting her old wisdom... and battling her last triumphant will for survival. To me... it's a very spiritual moment, one that I'd relate to the Buddhism term "Satori"... a brief moment of enlightenment... where all thoughts subside and you're connected not only to the big fish... but the "biggest fish." I don't believe most anglers view their pursuits as a spiritual journey... but in my opinion, it's a religion that actually serves it's purpose.

... I've been fortunate enough to befriend some great people on the island, including the innkeepers of ( The Island Home ) where I stayed. If you're ever looking for a vacation nearby, whether for fishing, romance, or some relaxation... I'd highly recommend looking into it.

Eureka

In the thick of it

... So it's been a pretty long couple days here... the snow has almost literally trapped me inside... I needed to paint something for myself. I've been experimenting with different techniques, styles, mediums... really trying to explore the possibilities and making sure no stone is left unturned, besides the nagging void within... that reminds me there is something more... something that proves so far to be unattainable. But I pursue, much like today, experimenting with different approaches to layering Oil paint... different colored underpaintings, different brush strokes... different density... just to see if some kind of Eureka experience would prevail. No such luck... but failed experiments eliminate a huge chunk of what was seemingly limitless possibilities before college, since then I've managed to play with nearly every medium and technique I can imagine. Perhaps not so ironic... I always come back to my comfortable Oil Painting technique. Learning the steps is one thing... but it's the subtleties that make it work so well, at least that's how I feel.

... I'll admit though... painting... always feels like I'm searching for something an arm's length away... but unfortunately, it stays an arm's length away. It's frustrating... it's motivating... spiritual... confusing... as my good friend say's: "it's like crawling through a swamp" ... or in my case, snow.

PRESS sure.

www.juxtapoz.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=6134

http://arrestedmotion.com/2009/05/preview-matt-dangler-searching-for-satori-gallery-1988-sf/

http://upperplayground.com/wordpress/?p=12298

http://www.formatmag.com/news/matt-dangler-searching-for-satori/

http://dailydujour.com/2009/05/24/preview-matt-dangler-searching-for-satori/

http://blog.monzuki.com/2009/05/welcome-to-world-of-matt-dangler.html

... better come see what all the hype is about. This Friday, May 29th @ Gallery 1988 San Francisco, 1173 Sutter St. (7-10pm)
- see you there