A few days ago I was asked by a contemporary art curator to talk about my favorite artists of the moment. Immediately three jumped to mind-- Ernesto Neto, Daniel Richter, and Matthew Stone. In the process of talking about these artists I realized that they exhibit my commitment to a very specific aesthetic. An aesthetic that is defined by a sense of contemporary ritual and an interest in the history of art.
For me Matthew Stone is a perfect example of this aesthetic. Stone's figures exist in shallow pools of light and contort in such a manner that they appea
r mythical rather than human. These qualties recall the work of Caravaggio who used dramatic lighting in order to add a gritty human quality to his depictions of Christian scenes such as the conversion of Saint Paul and the entombment of Christ. Stone has even gone to the point of creating direct references to the artist in works such as "David and Goliath (after Caravaggio)". Despite his clear quoting of a painting from around 1600, Stone's David is clearly modern. He appears in tight red jeans that one would expect to find clinging to emaciated body of a hipster.
r mythical rather than human. These qualties recall the work of Caravaggio who used dramatic lighting in order to add a gritty human quality to his depictions of Christian scenes such as the conversion of Saint Paul and the entombment of Christ. Stone has even gone to the point of creating direct references to the artist in works such as "David and Goliath (after Caravaggio)". Despite his clear quoting of a painting from around 1600, Stone's David is clearly modern. He appears in tight red jeans that one would expect to find clinging to emaciated body of a hipster.This decidedly contemporary quality is clear in all of Stone's photographs. His subjects lay strewn across the floor, many of them dressed in a manner implying that they have yet to change from yesterday's night of partying. One can almost smell the sweat the still clings to their body due to hours of dancing. Despite the fact that their attire clearly places the subjects of Stone's photos as being members of contemporary society, they exist in a no-space. This leads to a sense of ritual or mythology. Surrounded by a void of either black or white each figure looks off into that which is beyond the frame of the photograph in a manner that implies there is something occurring that the viewer cannot comprehend. In one image the subjects are attached by strings to something unseen. Some of these figures looks out into space blankly while others appear paralyzed by fear. Matthew Stone has created the set, chosen the actors, and designed the costumes. It is up for the viewer to write the script.
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1 comment:
So who started this trend towards liptographic photography? Oil Writting
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