MATTHEW STONE AND MATT STONE AT THE HOLE

by: Guillaume Boulez

On November 1st, The HOLE will present the first comprehensive gallery exhibition in the United States by British artist Matthew Stone. The exhibition will focus on the intersections between ideas, photography and sculptures that define Matthew’s work. Along side his installations of photography, he will also be presenting a performance at the gallery titled ” Anatomy Of Immaterial Worlds ” ( November 3rd at 9pm ) as part of the visual art performance biennial PERFORMA 11. The title of the exhibition ” Optimism as Cultural Rebellion ” should be considered a one-line manifesto, perhaps a ” mini-festo ” . Since 2004 Matthew has developed a personal philosophy of optimism, defining it as ” The vital force that entangles itself with and then shapes the future “. This timely position permeates all of his activities. Stone operates as an artist in a total sense : his very being, his community, his lifestyle and his expression dictate the creation of his interconnected works. As well as creating photography and sculptures he works in multiple world as curator, philosopher, musician, facilitator and cultural provocator. His recent projects include a collaboration with Givenchy’s Ricardo Tisci for the cover of the 20th anniversary of Dazed & Confused magazine and a fold-out sculptural cover for the current Flaunt Magazine, composing original music for close friend and collaborator, fashion designer Gareth Pugh, and directing music videos for acclaimed British bands These New Puritans, S.C.U.M and for New York lo-fi band No Bra.

© Matthew Stone

In the same time, The HOLE will opens its doors for Matthew Stone’s show, and also Matt Stone’s first New York City solo show : ” Residuum ” ! Matt has created a suite of sculptures that feature formal geometries explored with flamboyant materials. The exhibition features nine small wall works comprised of polyurethane foam, spandex, resin and pins. These studies are isolated specimens form his overflowing biosphere in larger pieces, fragments flung of form his larger work, Seed Crystal. Matt Stone’s works open up new seams of valuable deposits, as he takes core samples form an as yet unexplored material universe. He nurtures each work like an exotic garden, letting each material iterate into a fantastic and flamboyant new form. Working as an assistant to Judy Pfaff and currently assisting Marilyn Minter — two very differently glamourous artists — Matt developed an interest i ways to make the formal fabulous. Planar cuts of foam-filled wood and tenuous geometric wire forms are the beginning of the party he starts with color and texture.