Artists

Matthew Abbott
Matthew Abbott
“Afterbirth of Cool”, acrylic and oil on linen, 2007, 78” x 78”
Matthew Abbott
“Body Destroyed, Brain Intact”, acrylic and oil on linen, 2010, 28” x 28”
Matthew Abbott
“Craptastic”, acrylic and oil on linen, 2009, 50” x 50”
Matthew Abbott
“Electric Doorbell Machine”, acrylic and oil on linen 2010, 28” x 28”
Matthew Abbott
“Evil Male Laugh With Echo”, acrylic and oil on linen, 2005, 78” x 78”
Matthew Abbott
“Freedom from Freedom”, acrylic and oil on linen 2011, 24” x 24”
Matthew Abbott
“Know Your Product”,acrylic and oil on linen, 2009, 50” x 50”
Matthew Abbott
“Matisse is Overrated”, acrylic and oil on linen, 2002, 66” x 66”
Matthew Abbott
“Paper Toilet”, acrylic and oil on linen, 2005, 78” x 78”
Matthew Abbott
“Phase IV”, acrylic and oil on linen, 2009, 50” x 50”
Matthew Abbott
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, acrylic and oil on linen 2010, 78” x 78”
Matthew Abbott
“The Public/Private Conundrum”, acrylic and oil on linen, 2010, 28” x 28”
Matthew Abbott
“Totally Whatever”, acrylic and oil on linen, 2011, 24” x 24”
Matthew Abbott
“U.S. Out of Brooklyn!”, acrylic and oil on linen, 2007, 78” x 78”

Artist Info

Matthew Abbott is known for painting loud, abstract images filled with block-colored geometric forms and letters that spell out cryptic wordplays. Taking inspiration from a wide range of sources including Islamic symbols, 1960s pop psychedelic imagery, crossword puzzles, and graphic art, Abbott’s noisy compositions point to his love of music and record covers (which also informs his use of square canvases). Despite the proliferation of numerals and letters throughout Abbott’s canvases, which suggest allusions or codes and sometimes provide punning clues to the works’ titles, his patterns and phrases are ultimately nonsensical, produced almost entirely through chance.

Abbott orders shapes and forms according to a sort of visual algorithm he establishes before beginning: “To start, a rule is made up. That rule is followed until something happens,” he explains. “The rule must then be amended, or another one made, intent on contradicting something already there, to allow for the creation of shapes as chance dictates.”

Matthew Abbott CV

PAST EXHIBITIONS
“Electric Doorbell Machine”, acrylic and oil on linen 2010, 28” x 28”
Matthew Abbott 2011
August 6, 2011-September 24, 2011