KATE MATTHEWS
WELCOME BACK TO THE WORLD
6TH June – 2ND August
“Art evokes the mystery without which the world would not exist” - Rene Magritte
Rene Magritte once wrote ‘Art evokes the mystery without which the world would not exist’. Such a statement
questions the relationship between art, meaning and the world itself. We traditionally expect art to represent
something: a person, a landscape, a feeling, or a concept. In that sense, we expect representational art to give us
some kind of meaningful insight into the human experience of the world and the things in it. Conversely, we tend to
view ‘abstract art’ as something purely intellectual, something that takes us away from the world because of its lack
of representational qualities.
In her upcoming solo show ‘Welcome Back to the World’ at the UpDown Gallery in Ramsgate, Kate Matthews
intends to turn these preconceptions on their head. She puts forth a kind of new formalism in contemporary art by
way of a rebirth of the modernist celebration of the pure aesthetics of the object. In a contemporary art scene
largely dominated by a focus on meanings, personalities and ‘the subjective’ in general, Matthews is offering up a
renewed appreciation of the aesthetic experience of objects and their beauty through the fundamental elements of
shape, colour, pattern and form.
Matthews is inviting the viewer to pull back from the abstract world of ‘meaning’ (a near obsession in current
contemporary art) and to instead re-place oneself in the world by focusing on the presence of outstanding material
objects which occupy space and create impressions on the senses. The basic elements of substance, material,
pattern, colour and form are brought into stark focus by being reduced to their bare, essential qualities, yet
presented in a way which produces maximum sensory impact. This is achieved through a fusion of the traditions of
painting, sculpture, and architecture, creating three-dimensional objects that can be appreciated on many aesthetic
levels.
As the viewer approaches the work, they become aware of it as an object that exists in space as it extends beyond
the traditional boundaries of painting from the gallery wall. The paint itself creates its own depth through bold use
of colour and the play of pattern, distortion, and light upon its surface, while the surfaces themselves interact with
real space, intermingling three-dimensional physicality and a painted optical effect. Through this coalescing of
painting and sculpture, Matthews is creating a fresh context for contemporary painting.
Surfaces are created which fold inward and lie on various angles, occupying and enlivening physical space. Areas of
the painting plane are also cut out and removed, so the viewer can see through the empty space to the surface
behind which merges colour and patterns in unpredictable ways. As the viewer moves around the work, the forms,
shapes and shadows alter, creating a sense of journey and surprise. An endless battle between systems and
disorder, structure and chaos echo throughout her paintings.
The industrial precision of the work gives it a refreshing, almost uplifting aura and is itself a celebration of technique
and modern production methods in paint and aluminium. Yet, at the same time, the seemingly whimsical titles such
as ‘Good Luck on your Exams’, and ‘All of This Will Change When You Have Kids', not only adds a sense of
mysterious intimacy to the work, but importantly, brings it down to earth by acknowledging the role of subjective
experience and by playing upon the human instinct to search for meaning and significance when experiencing
profound objects.
Text by
Dr V A Miller
Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Cultural Studies at the University of Kent’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and
Social Research.
HAVE YOU WATCHED THE SHORT FILM THAT ACCOMPANIES THE SHOW?