While Duchamp’s “readymades” had already removed the artist’s hand from making, Maurizio Cattelan went one step further by selecting an object requiring no human manufacture at all. Although Cattelan’s Comedian was initially received as a provocation, it marked a significant step in the evolution of art. A natural, indeed perishable, object acquired extraordinary value through context alone.
This exhibition takes that proposition as its point of departure, but not its conclusion. This body of work considers value as something assigned rather than inherent. Beginning with the proposition that an ordinary object can become art through designation alone, the series follows that idea into a range of cultural, political and historical contexts.
The works suggest that value is never fixed; it moves with context, authorship, belief, politics, institutions and time. And when value is malleable, it can be reassigned and reassessed. A banana can be recast as a porcelain artefact. Does taping an object to a masterpiece add or subtract value? Iconic paintings become sites of negotiation rather than fixed points of reverence.
Canonical artworks can be interrupted, everyday objects can be recast in materials usually reserved for monuments, familiar symbols are repaired, concealed or reconfigured, and historical narratives are measured against contemporary values. History itself is revalued as changing social attitudes reshape the meaning of images once accepted without question. Each work asks the same underlying question from a different direction - who decides what is worth preserving, celebrating or believing?
Rather than critiquing contemporary art, the exhibition examines the systems that produce cultural authority. Markets, museums, collectors, religion and national histories all rely on acts of collective belief. The works occupy the point at which those beliefs become visible. Whether value is created through skill, material, reputation, intervention or simple agreement remains unresolved, suggesting that the distinction between the priceless and the ordinary is less certain than we might like to believe.
Solo Exhibition: 5 Minutes To Famous
I would be honoured if you could join me to launch my new Melbourne exhibition. Featuring 11 paintings, it is the final Australian exhibition of my series of sculptural works on mirrored aluminium.
Inspired by the most banal social media posts, historical figures break their classical poses to strut for the camera; shining a spotlight on the trend of fabulous nobodies who, for an imagined audience, curate a digital ‘best life’ version of themselves built on a foundation of smoke and mirrors.
Here's a digital catalogue https://heyzine.com/flip-book/446db670c1.html
When: From 22 September to 7 October, 2023
Opening: Friday, 22 September, 2023, 6-8pm
Where: Compendium Gallery, 909A High Street, Armadale Victoria
It would be lovely to see you, so I hope you can make it.
Museum Exhibition: Painting The Figure Now
It is truly an exceptional and humbling experience to have received such a monumental invitation to showcase my painting, "The Fatal Shore," in the highly acclaimed museum exhibition of the world's most eminent figurative painters: Painting The Figure Now.
This prestigious event is currently taking place at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, Wisconsin, USA, from the 8th of September until the 28th of October.
Solo Exhibition: Confetti In A Storm
Confetti In A Storm is my first solo Melbourne show in five years. Featuring 19 new paintings, this is significant as it will the final Australian exhibition of the 3 major painting series that have dominated my work for the past 15 years; the Pure series; the Monumental Nobodies series, and the Mirror Electric series.
Sadly, these themes that have so captivated me for these past few years must inevitably come to a conclusion. I can’t say that I will never revisit these series again if inspiration strikes, but certainly for the time being this will be my last showing.
When: From 16 August to 10 September, 2022
Where: Metro Gallery, 1214 High Street Armadale VIC 3143
It would be great to see you, so I hope you can make it to the show.
Interconnected Exhibition by Beautiful Bizarre
My painting on mirrored aluminium, "All In This Together" is being exhibited at “Interconnected”, an exhibition curated by Beautiful Bizarre Magazine @beautifulbizarremagazine
The work is showing alongside 70 legends in the Australian contemporary art scene (AND the touring Archibald show) at the New England Regional Art Museum @neramuseum
Beautiful Armidale also came to the party with mild autumnal weather for a weekend that encompassed an opening night with over 200 guests, awesome after party, interesting Artists panel the next morning, and afternoon soirée at Danijela's (co-founder and editor of Beautiful Bizarre) of own home, with endless champagne and even better conversation. It somehow stretched out into the evening and wound down with classic vinyl spinning and fireside conversation. Magical.
To receive the Collectors Preview email the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine's Editor-in-Chief Danijela Krha Purssey on danijela@beautifulbizarre.net
'Interconnected' is on from 13 May - 26 June, 2022, at the New England Regional Art Museum.
106 - 114 Kentucky Street, Armidale NSW 2350. Australia
Shenzhen Museum Exhibition
On now in Southern China at the IADC Design Museum, Bao'an District, Shenzhen, as part of the dramatically and perhaps appropriately named, Apocalypse Of Art exhibition.
Check out the unusual and interesting hanging system for these paintings. Don't you love it? And the facade of the museum, like a pice of origami: so special. Lucky to be part of this.
Organised by Artcloud, and with special thanks to April Li.
Corey Helford Gallery Los Angeles
My painting "And So Began The Revolution" beautifully hung and so dramatic at Corey Helford Gallery for the Fantastical Beasts show, now on in Los Angeles.
For my audience in the US, which is the majority of you, I urge you to (digitally) swing by the gallery. With the lockdown in place, what better time is there to contemplate filling those empty walls.
This picture celebrates two women whose voices have echoed through time. Five hundred years apart, they are united by their desired to change the way women would be seen and heard in a world curated by men.
Joan of Arc, visionary, courageous and defiant, led the French army to victory against the British, despite her lack of military training and, significantly, her gender. To protect herself against assault, she dressed as a man. And this would be her undoing. In a show trail, she was accused on 70 counts, including witchcraft and heresy. Bettering her accusers, she was ultimately burned at the stake for the only “crime” they could prove: dressing like a man.
Born in the age of the corset, Chanel wanted to inspire women to live comfortably and freely in clothes designed to fit the figure rather than an exaggerated silhouette. Rehabilitated from funeral mourning, she made black the ultimate fashion accessory with her ubiquitous Little Black Dress. And while women sometimes wore trousers when working in traditionally male jobs during WWI, Chanel played a huge part in accelerating their popularity as a fashion item.
That one should be venerated for her revolutionary ideas and the other condemned, it is ironic that both simply wanted what men simply take for granted.
Shifting Space Exhibition
One of my all time favourite paintings is showing as part of 222 Rosslyn – a new creative space launching in West Melbourne.
Opening tonight from 6, the inaugural exhibition “Shifting Space” is a multidisciplinary show curated by Kane Alexander.
Exhibiting artists and creators:
Kane Alexander, Tom Adair, @joseph_flynnski, @jeremyblincoe , Amie Anderson, Brendan Coghlan, Jan Berg, Toby Pola, @kimkimkimxx , Isabelle de Kleine, Sarah Berners, Tré Koch, and XXFLOS.
Join us this evening with celebratory drinks kindly supported by Leconfield Wines and Four Pillars Gin with a one of a kind DJ set by Shanti Lane!
Focal Point exhibition, Hill Smith Gallery
On at Hill Smith Gallery, Adelaide, is FOCAL POINT: NEW REALIST PAINTING featuring Robin Eley, Tony Lloyd, Shannon Smiley, Camilla Tadich, Ben Howe and myself.
Maligned for so long, realist painting is experiencing something of a resurgence these days - for two reasons I believe; these works are not simply pictures for the sake of it, but they tell stories.
And remarkably, this group of extraordinary painters attained their level of technical prowess independently of one another yet simultaneously. Is there something in the water? Or part of the zeitgeist?
The show is from 10 May to 26 May 2018.
Lightbox 18
Up on the big screen for the next month in Perth's cultural precinct. Situated between the State Art Gallery, Museum and Library, Lightbox 18 is part of the Fringe World Festival Program which showcases the artists from around the world.
Thank you Pascale Giorgi, Screen Curator, Perth Cultural Centre Screen for curating me into this program.
Exhibition at Metro Gallery Melbourne
Running from 17 August until 10 September, this show featured 19 paintings, the final works of my long running Monumental Nobodies series.
After painting 56 pictures in the series, and still loving the theme and with a long long idea list of pictures that still could be painted, I have made the very difficult decision to end the series.
Solo exhibition and book launch "Based on a True Story"
Opening 6pm Thursday November 12 at Nanda/Hobbs Contemporary,
Level 1, 66 King Street Sydney
Book Launch "Based on a True Story"
This handsome hard-cover, full-colour monograph covers the past 10 years of Matthew's work. Written by Dr Shireen Huda of the Art Gallery Of New South Wales, it's 144 pages long and includes over 180 paintings.
The book launch and exhibition opens at 6pm, Thursday November 12, 2015
Nanda/Hobbs Contemporary
Level 1, 66 King Street Sydney.
Finalist in the Sulman Art Prize
Part of the holy trinity of Australian Painting prizes, the Archibald, Wynne & Sulman prizes run concurrently at the Art Gallery of NSW, and then tours NSW and Victoria.
The Archibald is for portraiture, the Wynne is for landscape and the Sulman Prize is awarded for the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project by an Australian artist.
Calleen Art Prize
Also made the finalists for The Calleen Art Award. This is an acquisitive national art award for painting in any subject, and was established in 1977 by Patricia Fagan OAM and is made possible by the support of the Calleen Trust.
The winner will be selected by the awards judge and announced at the exhibition opening on Saturday 3 May 2014.
Exhibition dates are Sunday 4 May to Sunday 15 June 2014
Cowra Regional Art Gallery, 77 Darling Street Cowra 2794 NSW
Tue – Sat: 10am – 4pm Sun: 2pm – 4pm
Solo Exhibition at Art Equity, Sydney starts Thursday 27 Feb 2014
To be opened by the REAL RAKE ( the man on whom the TV character Rake is based) Charles Waterstreet, Australian author, barrister and filmmaker. Opening Thursday 27th February 6-8pm. Exhibition showing until 14 March 2014
Art Equity, Level 1, 66 King Street, Sydney, Tel | +61 2 9262 6660 www.artequity.com.au
Winner, Sponsor's Prize at the Eutick Memorial Still Life Award
The piece Remedial Measures has won the Sponsor's Prize at the prestigious Eutick Memorial Still Life Award. Selected by John McDonald, Sydney Morning Herald art critic, as a finalist, this is the fifth time Matthew has been represented in this prize. It will be on display at the
Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery, Cnr Coff and Duke St, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450
Phone: (02) 6648 4863 from Sat November 16 to January 18, 2014
10am – 4pm Tuesday – Saturday
Accidental Empires, solo show at Hill Smith Gallery, Adelaide
Matthew Quick’s paintings layer meanings to convey insights into contemporary culture. Within
his amalgamation of the landscape, realist and surrealist traditions, Quick creates visual metaphors and contradictions that exude a unique imaginative realm. In ‘Accidental Empires,’ statues commemorating past victories by colonial powers, are refigured as props for the artist’s take on history’s unfolding narrative of power and corruption.
Quick explains; “Accidental Empires was inspired by footage of US soldiers celebrating their taking of Baghdad by destroying some art. Removing contemporary politics and looking from an artistic and historical context, this destruction illustrates how little has changed psychologically in the 1500 years since the sacking of Rome.”
Art Fair Hong Kong
Three works, Darwin's Children 1-3, featured at the Hong Kong Art Fair. A three-day event hosting a wealth of galleries and a huge array of contemporary art, Hong Kong’s first Affordable Art Fair took place between the 15 – 17 March in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Affordable Art Fairs have become something of a global phenomenon. Upon the success of the initial British and American fairs, they now takes place in Amsterdam, Bristol, Brussels, New York, Milan, Singapore, Hamburg, Mexico City, Rome, Seattle, Singapore and Hong Kong. Globally, over 1 million people have visited an Affordable Art Fair, buying over US $250 million of art.
Featuring thousands of original paintings, prints, sculpture and photography all under one roof, and all between HK $1,000 and HK $100,000, with 75% priced below HK $75,000. The work of young, emerging artists hangs alongside some of the biggest household names.
December - January
A pair of new paintings, Home of the Brave and Land of the Free, featured on the main exhibition wall for the Salon show at the Abbotsford Convent. Featuring the works of Convent based artists, the salon show is a fixture on the annual calender of Convent events.