Currently Creating in: United States
Last fall I was working around my house when I saw a late-night special on the tube with a sculpture that was blowing my mind with his talent. Luckily, it showed he was in Louisville KY which immediately gave me a spark to reach out and see if I could get him on this show.
I’ve always been fascinated with the arts, but sculpting in particular really fascinates me.
After a few months, Matt reached back out and we were able to collaborate on this episode. It’s hilarious how small the world is, because just a few minutes into our conversation, I realized that Matt had traveled to Costa Rica with Lindsay’s parents (my gf).
How insane is that??
Anyway, Matt’s talents are astonishing and highly praised. I don’t really have to say much about him..just look at his work..
We talk processes, techniques, evolution, pushing away from the religion and parent mold, and keeping focus on creating.
- Photo: Julie Gross
- Photo: Julie Gross
- Photo: Julie Gross
Creative Influences
To defeat Godzilla with his talents…
- “I would make a nice, well-crafted female Godzilla to distract him and I would sneak around him when he goes for the female Godzilla”
Advice…
- Art making is great but artists also make waste not just in great sculpture but also in bad sculpture. All of it is essentially our footprint.
- I think about materials as an author might about words, sentences,chapters of a bookand characters in a story. The more I diversify, the more languages I speak, the more I can compose a concept to the most diverse audience.
- Science is a profound thing and a lot of people don’t know about it. If they did, lots of things in the world would change.
- Self-sustainability is death. If you are not working with a community, you will have no connections to the world around you and so you are dead. It’s a terrible state.
- Create like a god, command like a king and work like a slave. –Constantin Brâncuși
Interview Links
- Matt’s Website
- Matt’s Email
- Earth Measure by Matt Weir
- BFA Exhibition Show – Reproduction Stress and the Death Drive: Go with the Flow
Media
Highlights
- 08:53 :A rundown of his sculptural development from his childhood in Louisville to learning how stuff work using random tools, materials and practices,
- 17:46 : His struggles as an artist trying to make a living including finding his confidence, self-doubt, social pressure and aspects of spirituality,
- 25:46 : How he thrived as a sculpture major in college despite being in a defunct department in the university he was enrolled in and how it was working for local artists at the same time,
- 30:31 : How working for different artists and studying evolution molded his diversity and paved his way into enlightenment and finding answers to his soul questions,
- 35:14 : Insights on how his fixation with his ‘God concept’ influences the format of his sculptures from the anthropomorphic form and personification, and how this enlightenment profoundly affected his artistic expressions,
- 44:08 : Tips for those who want to start venturing into sculpting, from visiting art shows and apprenticing as well as the challenges that you may meet as a sculptor,
- 51:10 : Materials which you can use to create different varieties of sculptures such as plaster, and oil and water clay, and what media works well for him,
- 59:40 : Why self-sustainability is not such a good concept as an artist and the value you can get out of being in a community, and
- 1:11:42 :The major piece he made for Bernheim and about the commissioning of a musician to create a song about the piece.
