As Heard From Mars

As many of us know, contemporary art takes all sorts of different forms. Ranging from conceptual art and installation to classical forms such as painting and sculpture. In my opinion, drawing is one of the more underestimated mediums. Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge, there aren’t many artists selling or showing their artwork in upscale contemporary galleries. You might find some in artist centers (such as those found in the Belgo building in Montreal), but these types of works are scarce. Perhaps this is linked to the fact that drawing is very close to graphic design, but we forget at which point it tied into almost all art forms. Indeed, it’s debatable whether drawing is the primary form and basic structure of all art work. Moreover, this raises the question: ”can someone be considered an artist if they have not mastered the techniques of drawing”? I won’t get into this today, but it’s definitely something to think about. I wish to put forth a contemporary artist whose work does have graphic aspects, but in which the technique is researched and pushed further in every new image. Although Matty TM’s work (which I found through Flickr!)  isn’t what you might expect from a post on contemporary art, one must remember that it’s not always about those whose work is in museums or galleries, but rather about those who have talent, technique, style, and who’s work really speaks for itself.

To see some of his work

Personally, on an aesthetic point of view, I’m not a huge fan of the writing that is added on almost each drawing, but I really appreciate the body of his work, and believe that his images have something interesting and surreal to offer. The drawings are somewhat eccentric, odd, and unsettling. One could speculate that his theme of masks covering anonymous figured could be a representation of the different personalities that this artist may possess… but I should probably leave that up to a theoretician. I don’t want to misinterpret the intentions of the artist, if there are any. One thing is certain, if they do represent his different facets, this is one multifaceted character!  Indeed, the animal figures range from a devilish owl to a poised horse.

As a student in visual arts, I can certainly appreciate the time and effort put into structuring such complex crosshatching and style. Indeed, what is impressive is not only the mood of each image, but also the expression on the animal’s faces, each giving out a very specific emotion. Moreover, one can tell that there was serious research put into the more human-like expressions as no animal would pose for them, meaning he’d have to figure out how to place the face of the animal in a very specific way, which is no easy task.

I enjoy the colors added to some of the drawings, although I must admit that the emphasis of the animal’s facial expressions is made in the black and white drawings. I would also like to mention the difference in style between the portrayal of body shapes and animal masks. This difference shows the diversity of his skill in technique. Indeed, it is not limited to classical representation or to a more contemporary approach, but rather a mix of both.

I’d like to finish by mentioning, in relation to the place of these types of drawing in contemporary art, that his drawings are better executed than those of an artist who is currently exposing in Montreal, who has a doctorate in the field…