Dreaming of a Tire Swing; Journey; River Ruin; Adrift

by Matthew Jones

“My work references the 19th century landscape tradition to address contemporary ecological concerns and humanities disconnect from the environment. The Hudson River School has the most direct influence on what I am painting; we may think of their works as quaint or picturesque but they were made to persuade the public to slow down “The axe of civilization”. I visit the areas my forebears succeeded in protecting and draw attention to the mess we are making of them. By emphasizing the physicality of the medium, I endeavor to establish how these places feel to me in both a physical and empathetic sense. I have a deep love for the environment in all of its varieties which is why my compositions focus on the condition I find the landscape in. Litter and other forms of pollution heavily taint many of the parks and rivers I have seen. Highlighting these occurrences brings this tension back to the galleries for a broader experience to consider.”