An Artist In New York: Elaborated

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Words & Photography
by Mathew Chavez



My name is Mathew Chavez, and I am a Texas native who relocated to New York City in the summer of 2006 to pursue my dream in the arts. I was notorious for drawing on the walls when I was younger, resulting in having my mother put paper on the lower half of the wall so I could continue to draw.
I was notorious for drawing on the walls when I was younger, resulting in having my mother put paper on the lower half of the wall so I could continue to draw.
Using line, shape, color, and, the most important, humor – are main focal points for creating my abstracted figures. Exaggerated physical features, personal flaws, cons, habits (good/bad), and the addition of items such as favorite foods, electronics or things we can't live without, are all recognizable throughout my body of work. I add them because we all tend to obsess over our favorite things.







Controversy has also become an attribute to my series ever since I heard the quote from my professor, “You have to follow the rules to break the rules.” That was in context to my straightforward phallic imagery in my previous paintings, the same paintings that actually started my entire abstracted figure series. Since then, I still hide traces of homoerotic and phallic shapes in my most recent work.
...looking at the human face and body, seeing beyond the physical side of it, and seeing what the heart is feeling.
I am easily inspired by New York City alone – the weather, music, books, movies, fashion, and even food, have all been creative outlets for my work. However, current state of mind and sense of self have contributed to my creative process. Influenced heavily by Pablo Picasso, Alice Neel, and George Condo, I have been extremely inspired by their approach of looking at the human face and body, seeing beyond the physical side of it, and seeing what the heart is feeling.

That is my goal in life – to inspire others by showing what's on the inside. That we're all the same on the inside.

Instagram: @mat_chavez

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