Rogue Citizen collaboration with CHUCK U during Red Hot Art Festival, August 2010

It’s been a very busy several months of freelance/contract/fine art business. I’ll try to update the galleries soon, check out Illustration and Design for new work.

Last week, “Words to Dead Lips,” a multimedia/dance production culminated three nights in a row at Intermedia Arts (as part of theirCatalyst series) in Minneapolis, the result of nearly a year’s worth of collaboration between Pramila Vasudevan of Aniccha Arts and myself. I produced complex hand-drawn animated sequences for the evening-length performance, used in the space with several digital projectors.

The Book of Bartholomew is a series of short stories by author Mark Granlund, for whom I’m contributing a second round of illustrations.

The extraordinary gentlemen in Substance have been at work this election season organizing and promoting live music events; some of the graphic design I’ve done for them will be featured in the galleries here.

There can’t be a full entry without mention of Rogue Citizen, the hip new artist collective from the cool side of town. Coming up is our first St Paul exhibition, NEVER MIND ROGUE CITIZEN at Nevermind Gallery in downtown, Nov. 22 – Dec. 12, with special edition prints available, and featuring mostly new solo work from myself, Dalsen, McGorry, and Mattheis. Make sure to join us for a closing party Friday, December 10, 6-10pm; live music by Ostraka (John Keston); live painting by Rogue Citizen.

Look out for Disasteratti’s new album Transmissionary out on Learning Curve Records later this month, with original cover art…

Foreign Affair (Bring the ruckus)

Things are heating up. I can’t stand this weather much, but I’ll take advantage of it to paint outside.

May 1st, RAN ART took off at Tarnish&Gold Gallery, and it was quite an event. My piece “Rainforest Doughstruction” (see last post) was featured in press for that show, and I was able to exhibit a print there.

A week later, Rogue Citizen violently birthed a painting into existence at Altered Esthetics Gallery. Check it out. The piece “Failure to Yield” is still up at the gallery for a couple weeks and available to obtain, via silent auction.

And following another week, we tackled a mural (above) over three days for Hoolie Fest at Shuga Records in Northeast Minneapolis as part of Art-a-Whirl; as of yet unfinished, but fit for looking at.

Upcoming:

June 19-July 18: SSCA Gallery is hosting Exquisite Robot, a Rogue Citizen show of drawings, featuring music by Unicorn Dream Attack and John Keston. The opening reception is June 19th, 7-10pm. It is crucial you attend this event.

June 30: Cinema & Civics (for which, coincidentally, I designed the logo and web graphics this year) is showing Dr. Strangelove, best film ever, in Stevens Square Park, with the ever louder Phantom Tails playing live, and none other than Rogue Citizen executing a large, real-time painting.

July 9: Speaking of Phantom Tails… Their album release show goes down this night at Hexagon Bar in east Minneapolis, with the help of Reckless Ones, Fort Wilson Riot, and Bight Club — and, of course, Rogue Citizen painting live. It will all be maddening. Take a gander in the “Illustration” section to see the cover art I did for Sounds of the Hunchback Whale.

Disasteratti also has a new album coming out later this year, packaged with original artwork that I’m quite happy with. I’ll try to post it here soon.

Thanks also to people who attended Late Nite at Pillsbury House Theater the same night.   My collaboration with Pramila Vasudevan of Aniccha Arts manifested in a multimedia/dance project titled Words to Dead Lips. A hell of a lot of work in a short amount of time was poured into building this surreal, post-war trauma narrative. The performance was received very well, and the groundwork is being laid for an expansion and re-imagining of the project into a full length project in 2010.

This upcoming weekend for the Holiday Art Sale at Carleton Place Lofts in St Paul.  The show will feature Thea Peltier, Angel Teske, Erik Pearson, Pat Garrahy, Natasha Poppe, Joshua M Murray, and Matt Wells.  I will have prints and original paintings there, and some new work; perfect for subversive gift-giving, and confusing the relatives.

Cheers,
Matt

This upcoming Saturday, November 14th, there are two big events in Minneapolis.

Northeast: FEAST is a unique arts grant opportunity. Two out of the fifteen proposals being considered at Saturday’s event are the brainchildren of a progressive group of emerging artists: Shawn Dalsen, Eric Mattheis, Matt McGorry and Matt Wells. Go to feastmpls.org and check out”Public Consumption” and “Foot Out the Door,” under the Current Proposals menu… Please attend if you can! 6pm – 10pm. $10-20 sliding scale donation.

South: LATE NITE at Pillsbury House Theater is featuring a collaborative multimedia performance from Pramila Vasudevan of Aniccha Arts, and Matt Wells, entitled “Words to Dead Lips”. 8pm – food / 9pm – performance. $12

Cheers,
Matt