J MATTHEW THOMAS
As Thomas is also an incredibly accomplished creative being in his own right, I thought it would be remiss if I did not inquire about his own personal projects.
Tell us what you have been up to with your own creative process, art residencies, shows and more.
Last year was a very busy and productive year. I had two residencies, one at MacDowell and one at Ucross, that helped kick start some projects and the time was so valuable to check in with myself and my own creative process.
This year, I’m excited to have my work featured in a group show in Santa Fe at Currents 826 on Canyon Road. The installation is part of a show called “Resonances.” The work I created is called “Wall Glitch” and is composed of over 200 mirror fragments arranged in the corner of the gallery. The chaotic yet controlled layout disorients one’s understanding of space and structure.
I was excited to learn that a collaborative project called “Bodies in Time,” that was submitted to Sound Scene (an annual, interactive multisensory art event at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C.), was invited to be presented this spring.
“Bodies in Time” is an interactive installation that asks the audience to explore their own understandings of time and space. The interactive sound and movement piece has the participants become the performers by wearing wireless headsets programmed with an audio narrative choreographed by Amber Vasquez.
Participants can choose between three channels, choosing to explore ‘slow time, medium time, or fast time.’ Unfortunately, due to budget issues, we weren’t able to present it this year, but who knows, it may show up in Taos in the near future.
I have a residency tentatively planned this fall/winter in Italy. It is organized by La Rivoluzione delle Seppie, a collective of international creative professionals operating in Calabria. It’s an opportunity to share the work we do here with PASEO, while exploring new and engaging opportunities on the European continent.
You are also an architect who has recently been dipping your toes back into design — can you tell us a little about that?
I am a licensed architect and, while I firmly believe I practice architecture everyday with PASEO and my artwork, I’ve been hungry lately to get back into a more traditional design practice. I have some small projects I’m working on and am excited to work on a larger scale. It’s been interesting to navigate different practices, absorbing tools and technologies from one and then looking at something in a completely new light. It helps to see what I’m doing in a new perspective. How architecture works with community, or how a design is also a total piece of art. We’ll see what comes out of it.
How do you balance being an incredibly creative soul yourself, with the huge task of putting on a major festival annually?
I have an amazing team. And we have an amazing community of artists and volunteers that make the festival come together. I’m grateful for the donors and local businesses that believe in public art and support it. And working with artists is so inspiring. I love my job(s).
My calendar rules my life, and I’ve found balance by scheduling time for myself, for getting outside and being with friends. That’s been fueling the creative juices.