‘While painting, I, too, become a viewer and the art reminds me of my past’
Arizona artist Matt Magee uses found items to tell his latest story
Matt Magee is a collector. He finds items, picks them up and reimagines a new purpose. It’s part of his process — one that stems as far back to him living in Brooklyn, New York, years ago.
“It’s a natural impulse,” he says. “Over the years, I’ve collected all these kinds of materials.”
With inspiration always around him, it’s no wonder Magee turned to the found items to help him tell his latest story in “Random Order.”
Zane Bennett Contemporary Art currently is showcasing the exhibit, which embodies Magee’s careerlong interest in playful permutations of bold forms and repurposed unconventional materials.
Magee had been invited to put on the exhibit, so he traveled from his Arizona
home to Zane Bennett to see the space.
“I think artists need to see the space where the pieces will hang before,” Magee says. “There are about 16 or 17 spaces that I needed for the space.”
The majority of the pieces were made in 2020.
One is called “Burst” and is gold foil on Arches.
Magee says he was inspired for the piece after a friend made a visit to Arizona and brought chocolate from the Dandelion Chocolate Company based in San Francisco.
“It’s wrapped in this heavy gold foil and I couldn’t throw it away,” he says. “I love the texture and feel of the foil. I had to order more chocolate to get the foil. I sent the image of ‘Burst’ to Dandelion and they are interested in using it for packaging.”
When Magee works, he does it alone.
A usual day for the artist is spent in his studio creating for at least eight hours at a time.
“I don’t have assistants,” he says. “I work with my hands. There’s a sense of my hand in the work.”
Magee’s work ethic is strict and full of routine. Entering the studio around 10:30 a.m., he will work until 6 p.m. Usually seven days a week, but he will take off an occasional Sunday.
He’s consistent about getting work done and everything is a natural progression.
“I don’t tend to work on two or three things at the same time,” he says. “I work on one piece until completion. I definitely think about my routine a lot. My brain is half in the studio and half in my life outside of the studio. I’m constantly absorbing all that I can.”