Art
...has been part of my life, my whole life. I began painting in high school and subsequently focused on oil painting while studing at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. After obtaining a B.S. in Art Education, I dumped the idea of teaching so that I could focus solely on oil painting, spending an additional two years at Wayne as a post-grad in studio art.
After obtaining an MSW and working in a clinical setting, I returned to painting and spent two years in the mid 80's painting at the Art Student's League in NYC.
My works have been shown in NYC, Detroit and I had a piece selected for a juried show at the Butler Museum.
My paintings have been inspired by the works of de Kooning, Matisse, Rothko, Susan Rothenberg, Picasso, Robert Wilbert, Alex Katz, Aboriginal art and children's art.
Regarding the mosaic work, which is quite different from my paintings, there, I am interested in exploring how art and craft collide and differentiating between the two: What is art? What is craft? What is the push-pull between the two?
Within this framework is an intention to pose a story or allegory of the human condition, using repurposed materials to integrate ideas, memories and beliefs.
I explore irony through the juxtaposition of objects, contrasting humor with the serious, all while considering the impact of color, composition and texture.
I can be reached at terry (at) TerryMatlen.com
