Artist Spotlight Series: Matt Phillips

January 23, 2017

Artist Spotlight Series: Matt Phillips

Abstract Art, Art, Artist

By HollyPhillips

Abstract Art, Abstract Artist, Artist Spotlight Series, Matt Phillips, Matt Phillips artist, New York Artist

I am excited to introduce you to another very talented artist. This one hails from NYC.

His work captured a a colorful modern spirit with a nod to the past through his inspiration.

Enjoy getting to know

Matt Phillips

New York, New York

What is your training?

I studied painting at Hampshire College and Boston University (MFA).

What inspires you and your designs?

My work draws from numerous visual sources such as textiles, maps, architecture, and the quilts of Gee’s Bend.

I look at a lot of other painters such as Braque, Morandi, Bonnnard, Matisse, and Fra Angelico. I usually paint while listening to music and I think that it has a way of getting into my work as well.

What is your favorite piece?

I tend to like the most recent paintings that I make as their visual problems feel fresh and compelling. That said, I have still been pretty interested in this painting “Bungalow (Spring)” that I made about a year ago. I like how this painting teeters on describing many different things… an interior space, a landscape, and forms that could be read as figurative. I think it finds an unusual resolution between all of the picture’s elements.

Bungalow (Spring)

Pigment and Silica on Linen

58.5″ x 48″

2016

How has your area influenced your work?

New York City is a peculiar beast. I am so happy to have a wonderful community of friends and fellow artists. We really support one another and these folks make living here completely worth it. It is hard to imagine living anywhere else that could be as saturated with as many brilliant and creative people. New York can really energize you and there is always something great to see and do. At the same time, you can get totally swept away in all of the city’s distractions. I think this place has slowly forced me to find a semblance of self-control.

What is your favorite restaurant in New York?

I have seasonal eating habits. Since it is currently winter I am in a pretty major Ramen phase. Ippudo is currently at the top of my list.

Ivan and Chuko Ramen are also really great.

I recently had a taste of the black truffle ramen at Momofuku… it was really good.

What is your favorite cocktail?

I will never turn down a rye old-fashioned.

How do you balance personal life and work?

I try my best. I am starting to wonder how much I really believe in balance—sometimes it feels like a distant cousin of stagnation. Right now I think it is just important to try and embrace that it can be difficult juggling painting, teaching, co-running a gallery, and spending some meaningful time with my wife, friends, and family. I also think it is important to remember how lucky I am to be able to spend a lot of my time making and thinking about art.

Dream trip?

Morocco with Andy Ness.

Dream commission?

I would love to be commissioned to do a largescale mural/mosaic in a music venue or opera house. The new Herzog and de Meuron concert hall in Hamburg would be pretty cool. That building seems insane.

Your favorite host / hostess gift to give?

Fresh baked bread from the Hungry Ghost Bakery (Northampton, MA).

Who is your style icon?

I basically only wear jeans and blue button down shirts. But I think Prince had the best style.

Your favorite up and coming artist?

I am lucky to be friends with a lot of great artists that I admire and respect. I love watching their work develop over time. Yevgeniya Baras,

and Guy Yanai to name a few.

What is your most treasured possession?

Well I don’t think she is exactly a possession, but I love my dog Mirabelle. She is a really special dog.

What are you reading?

I just ordered The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness by Peter Godfrey-Smith. I can’t really express how cool of an animal I think the octopus is. I think they may be the most evolutionarily advanced creature in the universe.

What are you listening to?

I have been listening to a pretty wide range of artists in the studio recently. A few that come to mind right now are: Kendrick Lamar, Bonnie Prince Billy, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Elliott Smith, Holy Sons, Shabazz Palaces, Sleep, Townes Van Zandt, “Being There” by Wilco, and Sturgill Simpson.

What are your favorite blogs / publications?

I really enjoy going down the tumblr rabbit hole. I will often start at Paintingafterpainting.com and then just follow the trail of images that interest me. I like seeing collections of images that belong to total strangers.

I also really like listening to podcasts like The Mystery Show,