Matthew Shelton Art Opening 4-7P
w/ music by Planchette 5P
Shelton has worked in several mediums over the last 25 years. Upon graduation from the Art Academy of Cincinnati in 1999, he began performing his own music (guitar, mbira, voice) extensively around the region, both solo and as band leader for The Picnic and Me or the Moon. His visual art explorations continued with his ongoing series of intricate “light boxes”, along with more traditional mediums. Since his Chicago years, he has worked with video, developing his own wildly experimental techniques, producing music videos for others, providing live projections for events, along with a growing body of independent, self-driven projects.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
I come to Motr ready to rock, usually. Or eat. And I come to Motr with this collection of work from different mediums and periods of my life with but one goal in mind. To rock AND to eat, and to hopefully assist a viewer or two on their individual journey towards the flexing of their love muscles.
It certainly never felt like there was one goal in mind during these work's creation. I don't know what I'm doing or why I'm doing it most of the time. I'm just happy and lucky to have something to occupy my mind and hands.
But as time has passed, and the work accumulates, I feel both a focusing of my intentions, and a dilation of my sense of the intended target. I used to think I could have a band that played Irish folk tunes for one song, and immediately switch gears and play hardcore punk, followed by a dandy waltz number and then some hot lick blues. I didn't appreciate that, in order to get to the HEART of things, sometimes you have to beat a dead horse. I probably still don't, but who am I to say?
We are all one / alone.
Flex your love muscles,
Matthew Shelton
Antigua Island, 10 April, 2023
