Opening Night Irvine Contemporary

So opening night was a success! August 8th, 2009 saw the opening night of Introductions5 at the Irvine Contemporary Gallery in D.C. Here's a link to the show information show will be up for the month so if you know anyone in the D.C. area please send them out! There is a lot of fantastic work from other recent MFA grads in the show. I was unfortunately not there because I was in San Diego at my brother's wedding (congratulations Nate and Tertia!) but I heard it was a fantastic evening and event! Someone even wrote about what I do in words that I haven't used before, but I really think it's a well written and descriptive short review of my work:

Matt Sartain

MFA, Academy of Art University, San Francisco
Photography

Matt Sartain composes highly-detailed panorama photographs that present strange but accessible narratives, fantasies, and allegories involving a central figure in a deep-focus landscape. Each image is full of visual surprises and presents a convincing fictional world where nostalgia, the hyper-real, and the surreal converge.

Back in Town, Blogged About, and a Gallery Show!

Well I've been away for a bit, traveling the great state of California in search of new and wonderful locations.  I traveled to the great American River, the Ghost Town of Bodie, the mysterious Mono Lake, the beaches and hills of Santa Barbara and the epic coast of Big Sur.  It was a wonderful and inspiring experience.

When I came back to San Francisco there was a lot of news waiting for me.  The first thing I noticed was the number of blogs I have found myself in.  I wanted to forward these on because if you like my work, then you might like these peoples blogs.  Check out some here:

www.cameraluv.com/

inspireyoutothink.com/matt-sartain-photography

www.ateneupopular.com/fotografia/matt-sartain-intriga-carinosa/

nfgraphics.com/?s=matt+sartain&x=0&y=0

kiske.tumblr.com/post/110758098

The first and 2nd postings are in english, the next two are in spanish and the last one... i'm not sure about.  I love that the internet allows people from all over the world to view my work.  I'm particularly happy about getting so many hits in Spain and Asia, two places I've never been but want to visit badly!

It's funny, again, I love translating these pages, they always create funny and sometimes poetic expressions - you couldn't write this kind of stuff.  I noticed the 3rd link had quite a lot of comments which I took as a great sign of how my work can create discussion.  BUT as i shortly found out the first couple comments are about the work and the 3rd and following 20 or so comments are all about Lost, the TV show! I'm not mad because I like that show too.

In other news I'll be having my first gallery show at the Irvine Contemporary Gallery in D.C.  Martin Irvine, who represents a number of great artists like Shepard Fairey and Kahn/Selesnick, contacted me about being a part of a group show for recent MFA graduates.

http://irvinecontemporary.com/otherExhibitions.php?eventID=98

I'll be the only photographer in the show and the rest of the artists are all really great and inspiring at their respective crafts.  The show is called Introductions 5 and it opens on August 8th -  I won't be able to be present because it's the same day as my brother's wedding! (congratulations Nathan and Tertia!) but if anyone is in the D.C. area it should be a great show.

More later!  Until then, and in earnest,

Matt

HOW Design

Check out my image on the cover of HOW Design Magazine.  It's available in the stores now, it's got some other pictures of mine as well as an interview.  Cool huh?

The Hunchback

Here's a recent photo I've created.  This one is called The Hunchback.  Pictured is a man/creature who lives atop a lonely mountain overlooking a city in which he is not welcome.  Sadly this creature spends most of his time vying over the city with unreciprocated affection and admiration.

With this image I was aiming to illustrate the emotions that an ostracized creature might feel.  To me, this image is very sad.

The New Website, and Graduation!

Hey Everyone,

Check out the new mattsartain.com.  It's just launched today, packed with some new images and a new look.  You'll also notice it's simpler, and doesn't have the annoying "edu" stamp on the bottom... know why? cause I graduated!

I now have a Masters of Photography from The Academy of Art University. 

Suppose it's time to move on to the next stage of life.  It's a bit funny when you're 25 and you've spent your entire life in school... never really taken a break... it's a mixed bag of feelings when you're trying to make sense of it all.  I sure am glad to be done with school because I have felt for a little while now that I've learned what I came there to learn and I've been ready to graduate for some time.  That being said the university has offered me invaluable help towards defining my style and approach to photography.  

The most important step now is to get my book in the hands of as many people as possible.  My portfolios are printed and I don't expect them to just sit in my apartment.  Now that my focus on my final project and the task of finishing the responsibilities of a master's degree are complete, things are a bit simpler, the only focus now is getting work.

It's a new frontier!

The Novelist

Here's a new shot for my portfolio.  I've been sitting on this one for a while while I worked on some other things.  I posted the behind the scenes shots for this a couple months ago.  This image illustrates the task of compiling a life's work.  Some of us have a heavy urge to leave something behind and this gentlemen is working very seriously on his.

The Balloon Ride!

Here's a shot I've finished recently.  It's the story of two young orphans who've snuck out at night only to discover a very curious character who's beckoning them to join him on a wonderful sky adventure.