Wk 11- Artist OTW- Student Choice

The artist I have chosen this week to write about is Matthew Barnes. His artwork is currently being shown at my local museum of art (Oceanside Museum of Art). Matthew Barnes is a fellow Californian, being based in San Francisco. He didn’t have any formal art training and saw art as an escape from reality. His artwork is mainly focused on his past childhood trauma and folklore. He expressed his emotion through dark surrealism.

In each of his pieces, the color he uses throughout tends to be very dark. His artwork is very simple, and his lines are not defined. This is somewhat of a reflection on Barnes’ lack of formal art training. In each piece, there is one lone figure that looks solemn and it seems like Matthew was portraying how he felt in the world. The lightest colors in the pieces are always “shining” down on the lone figure, emphasizing the sense of individualism that the figure feels.

I believe Barnes’ was trying to figure out his role in the world through his artwork. My question for him, if he were still alive, would be if he ever gained the sense of belonging within the world.

Barnes’ artwork really resonated with me, since I believe everyone has had a period within their lifetime where they felt as if they didn’t belong. When I saw his artwork for the first time, I was a bit sad to read that trauma was the “muse” so to speak behind his pieces. However, after looking them over again, I was realized that I was sad because I also went through a time of loneliness. I am in a much better place now, so I hoe he was able to get his sense of place within both the real and art world.