Let the materials do the work.
My work explores the process of painting by incorporating tools or strategies to act as intermediaries between my hand and the surface. By employing accessible approaches to image making, (dying, taping, etc.) I am interested in exploring a space that democratizes abstraction. The resulting body of work is created by using dye to affect a burlap substrate (by additive or subtractive methods) on which I apply generous amounts of acrylic paint to masked areas. The result is a body of work that is as unpredictable as it is expected, that is simultaneously both fast and slow.
Matthew J. Mahler (b. St. James, NY, 1982) is an artist based in Greenpoint, Brooklyn who’s work investigates the painting process. He earned a BS in art Education from Hofstra University and holds an MFA in Painting from CUNY Queens College. Mahler’s work has been included in various exhibitions around the United States including Sardine (NY), Heliopolis (NY), Ex Ovo Projects, (TX), Matteawan Gallery (NY), Gallery 21 (VA), Centotto (NY), Transmitter Gallery (NY), Guest Spot @ the ReInstitute (MD), Gallery North (NY), Denny Gallery (NY), Brooklyn Fire Proof Gallery (NY), Storefront Bushwick (NY), the Austrian Cultural Forum (NY) amongst others. The artist is a frequent organizer of events and shows and co-founded Small Black Door, an experimental art space in Ridgewood, Queens (210-2013). Mahler’s work will be published in Art Maze Magazine edition 17.
