Matthew Couper Studio

2011-12-31T18:02:00.000-08:00

EL TRENTI Y UNO DE DECIEMBRE, VENITE-ONCE
My last painting of 2011 (2012 defeating 2011) - started this morning and almost finished bar some text on the shield and title, date etc. Oil on tin, 14" x 11", based on San Miguel figure represented in Spanish Colonial painting.

2011-12-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

JUEVES, EL VIENTINUEVE DE DECIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
Half a year's worth of swarf:

2011-12-24T12:30:00.000-08:00

EL VEINTICUATRO DE DECIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
Feliz Navidad!

2011-12-14T21:10:00.000-08:00

MIERCOLES, EL CATORCE DE DECIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
I'm stealing these pics straight from Jo's art blog (as I'm in one of them) on the Miami Art Fairs. We've been away for two weeks in Miami, and then onto Texas (Houston, Austin and Fort Worth) to check out galleries and specific exhibitions, such as the Caravaggio exhib at the Kimbell in Fort Worth.

2011-11-29T21:04:00.001-08:00

MARTES, EL VEINTINUEVE DE NOVIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
page four of the new Mark Hutchins Gallery Catalogue with my painting, 'Trickle-Down Theory' and text by Las Vegas writer, Scott Dickensheets. You'll be able to download the entire pdf catalogue at the gallery website here at some point in the not too distant future.

2011-11-25T09:57:00.000-08:00

SABATO, EL VEINTISEIS DE NOVIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
back to work (photo by JK Russ):

2011-11-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

VIERNES, EL VEINTICINCO DE NOVIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
Three of the five paintings available at SmallWorks Gallery in Brisbane, Australia. You can view the other two on my artist Facebook page here.

Left to right: 'Beginning', 'Dos' and 'Trinity', all 2011, oil on metal, 10 3/4" x 8", 270mm x 200mm.

2011-11-25T07:56:00.000-08:00

MIERCOLES, EL VEINTITRES DE NOVIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
SmallWorks Gallery is opening this Friday in Brisbane, Australia.

2011-11-20T20:52:00.000-08:00

LUNES, EL VEINTIUNO DE NOVIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
Please click here to read the email update below

2011-11-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

MIERCOLES, EL NUEVE DE NOVIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
John Seed of The Huffington Post has published an article on my paintings, practice and context:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-seed/matt-couper-painter_b_1080307.html

2011-11-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

MARTES, EL UNO DE NOVEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
My painting, 'Syncretism Of The Halves' (2010, oil on loose canvas, 74" x 65") will be exhibited in 'Life In Death' at the Winchester Cultural Center, Las Vegas. The exhibition opens on 29 October and runs through 12 November 2011. Trifecta Gallery director Marty Walsh will announce the Best of Show Award in the gallery at 6 p.m. Tuesday, 1st November.
Current Exhibitions:
2nd Annual Santa Muerte Music & Arts Festival, Sacred Machine,
Tucson, AZ, USA, 28 Oct - 31 Dec 2011
Dia de los Muertos, El Museo Cultural De Santa Fe,
555 Camino de la Familia, Santa Fe, NM, USA 28 Oct - 2 Nov 2011
Life in Death, Winchester Cultural Center,
3130 McLeod Drive, Las Vegas, NV, USA 29 October - 12 November 2011
Rua (group exhibiton), HuiHui,
50a Ossian St, Napier, New Zealand 28 October - 9 December 2011
Upcoming Exhibitions:
Celebrating Existence: A Show of Atheism, Blackbird Studios,
1551 S Commerce St, Las Vegas, NV, USA 3 - 26 November 2011
Inaugural Exhibition, Hands On Art Gallery,
8530 West Sunset Rd., Suite 345, Las Vegas, NV, USA 11 Nov 2011 - 29 Jan 2012
Look, See Group Show, SmallWorks Gallery,
87 Bromley Street, Brisbane, Australia, 25 November 2011 - 22 January 2012
[Group exhibition], Light and Space Contemporary,
53 Fairlane St. West Fairview, 1118 Quezon City, Philippines, January 2012
Exhibition, Philomena Gabriel Contemporary,
3227 1/2 Milam Street, Houston, TX, USA, 18 May - 16 June 2012

2011-10-24T21:46:00.000-07:00

LUNES, EL VEINTICUATRO DE OCTUBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
Hello All,
With the upcoming Dia De Los Muertos festivals here in the USA, I have work in several exhibitions around the country.
At present, I have two paintings in a group exhibition, '10,000 Skeletons' at 222 Imperial, a new art gallery in Las Vegas. My work can be seen on their Facebook Page. (until 31 October 2011)
Upcoming exhibitions with a Dia De Los Muertos theme are:
'Dia de los Muertos', El Museo Cultural De Santa Fe, 555 Camino de la Familia, Santa Fe, NM, USA 28 Oct - 2 Nov 2011
'2nd Annual Santa Muerte Music & Arts Festival', Sacred Machine, Tucson, AZ, USA, 28 Oct - 31 Dec 2011
'Life in Death', Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 McLeod Drive, Las Vegas, NV, USA 29 October - 12 November 2011
Other upcoming group exhibitions include:
HuiHui, a one-night-only group exhibition, 50a Ossian St, Napier, New Zealand 28 Oct 2011
Celebrating Existence, Blackbird Studios, 1551 S Commerce St, Las Vegas, NV, USA 3 - 26 November 2011
If you'd like any higher resolution image of the paintings in the upcoming exhibition, please let me know.

2011-10-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

DOMINGO, EL VEINTITRES DE OCUTBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
Matthew Couper
'The History of the Blue Lady'
2011
acrylic and oil on loose canvas
©2011 Couper Russ Studios LLC
222 Imperial:
http://www.facebook.com/222imperial

2011-10-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

SABATO, EL VIENTIDOS DE OCTUBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
10,000 Skeletons at 222 Imperial (http://www.facebook.com/222imperial), below are my two paintings in the exhibition

2011-10-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

VIERNES, EL VIENTIUNO DE OCTUBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
invitation to 'Santa Muerte Festival' 2011 at Sacred Machine (http://www.sacredmachine.com) where I have three small paintings on display. I'll post them once the exhibition has begun.

2011-10-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

JUEVES, EL VIENTE DE OCTUBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
Dick Frizzell's new book 'It's All About The Image' with my work, 'Half and Half'', 2010, oil on canvas.
Thanks to Matt S. for the pics!

2011-10-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

MIERCOLES, EL DIECINUEVE DE OCTUBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
in New Zealand:

http://www.huihui.co.nz

2011-10-03T08:10:00.001-07:00

LUNES, EL TRES DE OCTUBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
My intaglio scraperboard work 'Origins' is on display at the 'Real New Zealand Art' exhibition, Federal Hotel Gallery, Cnr Taupo Quay and Market Streets, Whanganui, New Zealand 27 Sept -8 Oct 2011. I believe the exhibition is part of promotion for the RWC and is a selection of alumni from the Quay School for the Arts.

'Origins', 2011, incisions in ink on metal, framed, 220mm x 170mm / 8 3/4in x 6 3/4in

2011-10-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

DOMINGO, EL DOS DE OCTUBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
My painting installation 'Step, Stack, Stretch' in the Wallace Art Awards in Auckland, New Zealand. Exhibition closing 16th of October, 2011.

2011-09-25T06:54:00.000-07:00

DOMINGO, EL VEINTICINCO DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE ONCE
four years apart, first in 2004 with my friend Matt, then in 2008 with Jo. In the Brancacci Chapel of the basilica of Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Masaccio and Masolino's fresco cycle of the life of St Peter, executed in the 1420s.

2011-09-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

LUNES, EL DOCE DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
uncanny: de Chirico on the left - 'Metaphysical Interior', 1916 and Guston's 'Rain', 1975. The de Chirico is a hard image to track down, I've only ever seen black and white repros of it in two books, one of them being James Thrall-Soby's 'The Early Chirico' which, according to Guston's daughter, Musa Mayer in her biography 'Night Studio' was "...a book always at hand on my father's shelf...".

2011-09-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

SABATO, EL DIEZ DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTI-ONCE
studio show on Thursday:

2011-09-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

MIERCOLES, EL SIETE DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE
One more day before Andrew Graham Dixon's new book on Caravaggio is released in the USA:
http://www.andrewgrahamdixon.com/book/readBook/14

A Short doco, updated from his original one a few years back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v_FAijXpDc

reviews on the book:
http://www.3pipe.net/2010/09/interview-andrew-graham-dixon-on.html

2011-09-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

MARTES, EL SEIS DE SEPTIEMBRE, VEINTE-ONCE

(from left to right) 'Multi-tasking', 'Financial Bloodlines' and 'Capitol Notions'
all 2011
all oil on metal
Paintings 9 1/2" x 7 1/2"
Frames 16" x 14"

2011-08-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

MARTES, EL TREINTA DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-ONCE
A Mexican tin nicho frame, given to me by my friend Frank X Cordero from Santa Fe. The frame had a piece of newspaper in the back of it, folded over and teared, but with a date of 1910 on it. The paper perhaps had a reproduction of a saint on it, possibly La Preciosa Sangre de Cristo, or Nuestra Senora de la Luz.
I started a scraperboard-type work for this frame several months ago and have finally finished it. It's a reverse image of Durer's Melencolia engraving from 1514, in an attempt to reverse melancholy.

2011-08-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

JUEVES, EL DIECIOCHO DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-ONCE

I'm framing up some preparatory ink and wash sketches that I like. I ordered several frames, square, off-white in which I'll float-mount frame about 8 drawings. This is number two drawing, literally, of a devil on a toilet. I've just recently posted a photo of a ceramic talavera version of this motif that is on show at Rayner Brothers Gallery at present. I'm also working on my hand-modelling angles and techniques.

2011-08-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

MIERCOLES, EL DIECISIETE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-ONCE

I'm framing up some preparatory ink and wash sketches that I like. I ordered several frames, square, off-white in which I'll float-mount frame about 8 drawings. This one in the photo I haven't actually made a painting of yet, but it's based on my planchette snake idea (based on an Indian cobra, but with a hole in the middle of it, similar to that of a planchette which is the little wooden device used on Ouija boards). Apparently it's snake season here in Las Vegas, but not knowing anything about herpetology, I wouldn't have a clue what type of snakes are out there. Anyway, this is called 'Desert Companion', which is also the name of the local lifestyle magazine.

2011-08-14T00:11:00.000-07:00

SABATO, EL TRECE DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-ONCE
Today is International Left-Hander's Day. Below is a painting I made about the Wrath of the Left-hander.

2011-08-06T11:21:00.001-07:00

SABATO, EL SEIS DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-ONCE
(left) Lorenzo Monaco 'Man of Sorrows with Instruments of the Passion', 1404, tempera on panel, Accademia, Florence, Italy, (right) Matthew Couper, 'After Lorenzo Monaco's Man of Sorrows', 2005, pencil on paper, 7" x 4 1/2".

I did this drawing while doing some relief teaching for a friend who'd broken both wrists in a bike accident. I'd come across a black and white reproduction of the painting and really liked the relationship of the figures in the shallow space compared to the apparitions of the symbols of the Passion, more so than my other favourite of Fra Angelico's fresco in San Marco. I finally got to see this painting in the Accadamia, Florence in 2008

2011-08-04T07:50:00.001-07:00

JUEVES, EL CUATRO DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-ONCE
A pre-fired photo of my 'Devil on the Toilet' keepsake box. This image doesn't show the cistern attached, which is the keep sake box.

2011-08-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

MIERCOLES, EL TRES DE AGOSTO, VEINTE-ONCE
I've got three or four ceramic works in this upcoming exhibition
www.raynerbrothers.com

2011-07-28T15:20:00.000-07:00

JUEVES, EL VEINTIOCHO DE JULIO, VEINTE-ONCE

2011-07-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

MIERCOLES, EL VIENTE DE JULIO, VEINTE-ONCE
I knew of Scully's interest of Spanish painting but never felt it as... much as when I saw his 'Wall of Light Horizon' with the earth tones over the red bole primer, so evident in Spanish Colonial painting from the Baroque period.

Six months after seeing Scully's painting at the De Young, I revisited Goya's 'Portrait of the Marquesa de Santiago' at the Getty and instantly thought of the Scully - the saturations and values of the colours and the use of the warm light from the red bole primer penetrating through the top layer of heavy earth tone colours. His title, an oxymoron, also lends itself to the painters constant battle with illusion, allusion and space in and on a painting - the horizon of course being an example of a concept that exists in our minds, you can't ever reach a horizon as it shifts constantly in relation to where you are positioned in space; as apposed to a 'wall of light' which talks of the picture plane, but with something behind it emanating a light. These ernest questions in Scully's work about the history of painting played out as abstract paintings interest me so much that, for me, they hold a strong force of energy and knowledge that makes me want to keep looking at them.

Left: Sean Scully, 'Wall of Light Horizon', oil on linen, 2005, deYoung Museum, San Francisco; middle: detail of 'Wall of Light Horizon'; Right: Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes, 'Portrait of the Marquesa de Santiago', 1804, oil on canvas, Collection of the Getty, LA.

2011-07-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

VIERNES, EL QUINCE DE JULIO, VEINTE-ONCE
it was just over a year ago that we moved to the USA. It's been a blast so far!

2011-07-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

JUEVES, EL CARTORCE DE JULIO, VEINTE-ONCE
I was very taken recently by a new painting on the Colonial Arts website, owned by James Eddy. The painting (on the right) is titled 'The Nothingness of Man', c.1700's (http://www.colonialarts.com/products/sk) and the central skeleton figure with the figure captured in its ribs sparked off a memory of the work it is probably based on. I found it yesterday in Hermann Hugo's Pia Desideria (Divine Addresses) which was published in 1628. I'm aware of other example of this biblical ribcage jail motif, but I think it is in a book that's in storage in NZ. On my facebook page, I put together a folder of images called 'Influences of Spanish Colonial Art on Contemporary Painting', which looks at the lineage of imagery borrowed from the Spanish Colonial period by Enrique Chagoya, Manuel Ocampo, Fred Stonehouse, Frida Kahlo and Alex Chavez. The images below will probably be the offshoot of the above research.

2011-07-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

VIERNES, EL OCHO DE JULIO, VEINTE-ONCE
Yesterday I took my usual LA pilgrimage out to Historia Antiques in Santa Monica and met up with James Caswell to discuss all things Spanish Colonial... it usually goes on for quite a while but is always absolutely inspiring and illuminating.
Here's a photo of some of my paintings in his store amongst ecclesiastical paintings.

2011-07-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

JUEVES, EL SIETE DE JULIO, VEINTE-ONCE
my three paintings in Anacomically Correct' at Distinction Art Gallery, Escondido, CA, USA

(left to right) 'Liberty (after Delacroix)', 'Hell (after Giotto)' and 'Finis (after Hogarth)'
all 2011, all oil on metal, all 11.5 x 8 inches
courtesy of Distinction Art, Escondido, CA, USA, http://www.distinctionart.com/current.php
©2011, Couper Russ Studios LLC

2011-07-08T08:04:00.000-07:00

MIERCOLES, EL SEIS DE JULIO, VEINTE-ONCE
Invitation to 'Anacomically Correct' at Distinction Art Gallery, Escondido, CA, USA, opening Sat night at 6pm. Hope to see you there!

2011-07-05T10:26:00.001-07:00

I think we leap-yeared from Post-Modernism to Post Post-Modernism, then took the moving walkway to Dystopia-Networkism.

'The Meadows', JK Russ & Matthew Couper, 2011, oil and collage on metal, 275mm x 360mm, available to purchase
courtesy of Thermostat Art Gallery, New Zealand, http://www.thermostat.co.nz/
©2011, Couper Russ Studios LLC

2011-06-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

LUNES, EL VEINTISIETE DE JUNIO, VEINTE-ONCE

VENT(10) " From Abroad" Group Exhibition- THERMOSTAT
Opening on Saturday 2 July, 5.30 - 7pm

Shelley Malcolm - LONDON
Barnard McIntyre, Clare Firth-Smith - MELBOURNE
Victor Berezovsky, Sandra Schmidt - DRESDEN
Matthew Couper, J.K. Russ - LAS VEGAS
David Boyce - HONG KONG
Christian Hogue - BANGKOK
Leahlani Johnson - SYDNEY
Exhibition runs until 21 July 2011
Thermostat Gallery, First floor, 155 The Square, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand
Open: Wed - Fri 11am -4pm, Sat 11am - 2pm, Mon - Tues by appointment

www.thermostat.co.nz

2011-06-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

DOMINGO, EL DIECINUEVE DE JUNIO, VEINTE-ONCE
Happy Father's Day!

('Me and Dad', 1997, oil on panel, 240mm x 120mm)

2011-06-18T07:28:00.001-07:00

SABATO, EL DIECIOCHO DE JUNIO, VEINTE-ONCE

2011-06-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

JUEVES, EL DIECISEIS DE JUNIO, VEINTE-ONCE
http://www.mattcouper.com/devotionalinvite.html
http://mattcouper.blogspot.com/2009/05/viernes-el-veinteseis-de-mayo-dos-mil.html

2011-06-16T21:49:00.000-07:00

MIERCOLES, EL QUINCE DE JUNIO, VEINTE-ONCE

2011-06-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

MARTES, EL CATORCE DE JUNIO, VEINTE-ONCE
http://www.mattcouper.com/hmvdog.html
http://www.designboom.com/history/nipper.html

2011-06-09T10:49:00.001-07:00

JUEVES, EL NUEVE DE JULIO, VEINTE-ONCE
I was asked by the editor of the weekly newspaper, Las Vegas Citylife if I'd be interested in saying a few words about my painting that's on display at present as part of '89XXXhibition' at UNLV Marjorie Barrick Museum (4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, USA, 20 May - 9 July 2011) I'm alway happy to talk about my work, so here's the article.

2011-06-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

VIERNES, EL TRES DE JUNIO, VEINTE-ONCE
A short video of my ceramic 'Golgotha Wine Decanter' fresh out of the kiln. This work will be in an upcoming group exhibition at the Rayner Brothers Gallery in Whanganui, New Zealand in the latter half of the year.

2011-06-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

JUEVES, EL DOS DE JUNIO, VEINTE-ONCE
There's a nice little write-up about the Contemporary Art Center 22nd Annual Juried Show in Las Vegas here. The Las Vegas Weekly is a free publication delivered and available free to residents of Las Vegas.

Philip Denker: Best in Show

2011-06-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

MIERCOLES, EL UNO DE JUNIO, VEINTI-ONCE
It's been a long time without a post, this poor blog, but I'm now back in Las Vegas, Nevada and tidying up the loose ends of post-travel paperwork.

Over the last month, I had six exhibitions on at once, five group shows in Tucson, Arizona, Whanganui and Hastings, New Zealand; and two in Las Vegas, Nevada; and a solo show at PAULNACHE in Gisborne, New Zealand.

All went very well with good sales at my solo show 'Rites in the Meadows' at PAULNACHE and 'Pop-Gun at The Rayner Brothers Gallery, a nice mention in a review of the Creative HB Invitational at the Hastings City Art Gallery. I was very honoured to learn that I had gained second prize for my art work 'The Trickle-Down Theory' at the Contemporary Arts Center. A related work titled 'The Trickle-Down Effect' is on show at the Barrick Museum, UNLV campus, Las Vegas.

'Solutio Perfecta'
2011
Oil on metal
360mm x 280mm / 11" x 14"
Private Collection, South Island, New Zealand
exhibited in 'Rites in the Meadows' at PAULNACHE, Gisborne, New Zealand
©2011, Couper Russ Studios LLC

2011-05-08T02:48:00.000-07:00

DOMINGO, EL OCHO DE MAYO, VEINTE-ONCE
There's been a bit of a lapse in posting due to traveling around New Zeland and limited access to internet connections but here's the next invitation to "Pop Gun" at the Rayner Brothers Gallery at 52 Guyton Street, Whanganui, New Zealand.

The exhibition opens on Friday the 13th of May, 2011 and features new art works related to pop music by Andrew Ritson, JK Russ, Mark and Paul Rayner and me. I'll be adding my works to my website by the opening of the exhibition and will be previewing a couple of works on my Artist facebook page.

2011-04-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

MIERCOLES, EL VEINTISIETE DE ABRIL, VEINTE-ONCE
Below is the invitation to my upcoming show at PAULNACHE in New Zealand, the gallery already has the works online to view here. All the paintings have been executed while living in the USA and are a selection of direct reactions to, or mulled-over meditations of living in the USA.
The image below, 'Vision in the Meadows' (2011, Oil on metal, 200 x 270mm/ 8" x 10 1/2") depicts a devil on a toilet, an image that appears on Mexican black velvet painting, doing the devil's work, painting, in the outskirts of 'the fertile meadows/plains', which is the English translation of Las Vegas, named after the Artesian springs discovered in the valley of the area in 1829.
He has symbols of studio practice around him, the ever-pressing notion of time, the divine eye, art materials (the reversed canvas), cheese for subconscious inspiration and the egotistical notion of the need to feed something into society.

2011-04-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

LUNES, EL DIECIOCHO DE ABRIL, VEINTE-ONCE
finally stretched up and ready to go. Am leaving this one in the USA for now. I think it's more apt here than in NZ. I was painting this way back here.

Trickle-Down Theory', 2011, oil on canvas, 58" x 46

2011-04-18T18:42:00.001-07:00

DOMINGO, EL DIECISIETE DE ABRIL, VEINTE-ONCE
Schemes, 2011, oil on metal, framed.

2011-04-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

VIERNES, EL QUINCE DE ABRIL, VEINTE-ONCE
detail from Bosch's 'Death of the Miser' in the Nat. Gal. Washington DC.
I've seen this work before in the flesh, but hadn't studied it long enough to notice the pencil marks outlining unpainted forms on the shelf depicting part of the miser's material wealth. The rest of the painting has many initial sketchmarks, showing a longer arrow as held by death, the volumous toning for the curtains and some minor compositional changes. I haven't read much about the 'plastic' aspects of the painting, but it's quite odd to see so much sketching and thin paint layers remaining on a 'finished' Bosch painting, especially in comparison to his impasto paintwork on the works I've seen in the Prado. Anyway, what was interesting was that I started noticing pencil marks in a few other paintings, most noticeable in Raphael's small Cowper Madonna, where he's redrawn the position of the shoulder and veil.

2011-04-13T07:42:00.001-07:00

MIERCOLES, EL TRECE DE ABRIL, VEINTE-ONCE

2011-04-13T07:40:00.000-07:00

LUNES, EL ONCE DE ABRIL, VEINTE-ONCE

2011-04-13T07:39:00.001-07:00

DOMINGO, EL DIEZ DE ABRIL, VEINTE-ONCE

2011-04-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

SABATO, EL NUEVE DE ABRIL, VEINTE-ONCE

2011-04-13T07:36:00.001-07:00

VIERNES, EL OCHO DE ABRIL, VEINTE-ONCE

2011-04-13T07:34:00.000-07:00

JUEVES, EL SIETE DE ABRIL, VEINTE-ONCE
in Washington DC:

2011-04-05T09:19:00.000-07:00

MARTES, EL CINCO DE ABRIL, VEINTE-ONCE
Helvi Sipilä
2011
pencil on paper
5" x 7"

2011-04-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

LUNES, EL CUATRO DE ABRIL, VEINTE-ONCE
Carlo Urbani
2011
pencil on paper
5" x 7"

2011-04-03T22:51:00.000-07:00

DOMINGO, EL TRES DE ABRIL, VEINTE-ONCE
Graça Machel
2011
pencil on paper
5" x 7"

2011-04-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

SABATO, EL DOS DE ABRIL, VEINTE-ONCE
Eleanor Roosevelt
2011
pencil on paper
5" x 7"

2011-04-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

EL DÍA DEL TONTO DE ABRIL, EL UNO, VEINTE-ONCE
Sérgio Vieira de Mello
2011
pencil on paper
5" x 7"

2011-03-30T08:25:00.001-07:00

JUEVES, EL TREINTE Y UNO DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE
Nadia Younes
2011
pencil on paper
5" x 7"

2011-03-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

MIERCOLES, EL TREINTA DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE
Angela King
2011
pencil on paper
5" x 7"

2011-03-29T08:06:00.001-07:00

MARTES, EL VEINTINUEVE DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE
Dag Hammarskjold
2004
pencil on paper
private collection, Wellington, NZ

2011-03-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

SABATO, EL VEINTISEIS DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE
A great little ex-voto that piqued my interest in Albuquerque at John Isaac's Antiques store in the historical area. It's got everything, aesthetically, that I like in an ex-voto, the pinky/cadmium scarlet floor, the soft blue sky and the beautifully crafted vision of Christ.
Things have been a bit hectic at my end due to several things need attending too, so that explains the lack of posts. Once cleared, I'll post the offending pieces here on the blog to catch you all up!

2011-03-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

SABATO, EL DIECINUEVE DE MARZO, VEINTI-ONCE
The photo, top-left, is a corpus-arm of a Crucified Christ statue that used to hang in the east chapel of the San Xavier Mission in Tucson, AZ. This is all that is left. It interested me as the rough wood skeleton is covered in canvas, then gessoed and polychromed. I knew that this was part of the process of making santos, but it's hard to see on complete forms. The saggy, torn canvas brought back memories of the skin surface of one of those bodies found in the bogs in a museum in the the UK. I also remembered a sketchbook drawing and a failed sculpture that I had made in preparation for my show at the Sarjeant in Whanganui in 2007. I had tried to recreate an arm out of cardboard and hot glue, nailed to wood with an ex-voto hanging off it. It didn't work, so I moved to casting in plaster, and the bottom left photo was the outcome. With molds, you can cast and recast, so I did a few variations on the dissected hand, looking at galvanisation, the power of the symbol of the hand. All these pics besides the San Xavier arm can be seen on the MOIV website here:
http://moiv.mattcouper.com/graveyore.html

2011-03-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

LUNES, EL CATORCE DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE

2011-03-14T20:15:00.001-07:00

DOMINGO, EL TRECE DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE

2011-03-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

SABATO, EL DOCE DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE

2011-03-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

VIERNES, EL ONCE DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE

2011-03-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

JUEVES, EL DIEZ DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE

2011-03-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

MIERCOLES, EL NUEVE DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE (ASH WEDNESDAY)

2011-03-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

MARTES, EL OCHO DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE

2011-03-07T19:32:00.000-08:00

LUNES, EL SIETE DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE
Drove from Vegas to Sedona, back up to Flagstaff, Arizona today, snowing in Flagstaff, but sunny and hot down in the Sedona canyon.
here's a snowball at ya:

2011-03-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

DOMINGO, EL SEIS DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE
Here's some photos of the crowd at La Luz De Jesus Gallery for the opening of 'Everything But The Kitschen Sync'. It was a great night, packed, with a bar out the back. The bottom photo shows my five little paintings in the show.
I also came back from LA with four new-to-me retablos and ex-votos, so I'll post those soon too.

2011-03-02T16:27:00.000-08:00

LUNES, EL DOS DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE.
Five orphans that have found homes in the USA recently. I've actually only reproduced/shown one of these works on the internet, either on Facebook, this blog or my website. Many of these figures in the paintings have been kicking around in my work for several years now, yet I'm still getting milage out of them. Usually, if I'm done with them, that's it, I'll leave them be, but these ones specifically, keeps reappearing.
There probably won't be many blogposts over the next couple of days as i'll be away from my computer, but I'll update you as soon as I have a bit of spare time.

2011-03-01T07:19:00.000-08:00

MARTES, EL UNO DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE.
Speak of the devil, this arrived in my inbox this morning, an invitation to the Creative Hawkes Bay Invitational 2011. See Sunday's post to view my painting that will be in the exhibition.

2011-02-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

DOMINGO, EL VIENTISIETE DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE
A triptych painting that will be exhibited in the 'Creative Hawkes Bay Invitational' at the Hastings City Art Gallery in April. The painting is titled 'Creator, Nurturer, Lifegiver' and was painted in 2010. It measures 2725mm x 1050mm.

2011-02-25T12:03:00.000-08:00

VIERNES, EL VIENTICINCO DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE
Thinking of Christchurch...If you're with Westpac, there's a safe way (by that I mean it goes to the Salvation Army via Westpac) to donate to the Christchurch Quake fund. Every little bit helps.

2011-02-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

MIERCOLES, EL VEINTITRES DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE

An update for Feb / March exhibitions:

I have one exhibition now open in Brooklyn, New York at DUBpies, a small cafe at 211 Prospect Park West (corner of 16th St). This exhibition features fifty-one small paintings which can be viewed on my website at the link below:

http://www.mattcouper.com/Dubart.html

and an upcoming group exhibition at La Luz de Jesus on Hollywood Blvd in Los Angeles. I have five paintings that have been accepted for the annual 'Everything But The Kitschen Sync, Vol. XVI'. More details on the La Luz De Jesus website here:

http://www.laluzdejesus.com/shows/2011/Kitschen-Sync2011/KitschenSync-index2011.htm

If you'd like more information on the exhibitions, feel free to get in contact with me by contacting me via my contact page.
You can also find more updates on upcoming exhibitions on my website homepage.

I also want to take this chance to extend my sympathies to those in Christchurch who have suffered in the recent earthquake. It was very distressing watching the events unfold so far away. My thoughts are with those who are affected.

Matt.

Snake and Monkey, 2011, oil on metal, 200mm x 275mm

2011-02-22T18:33:00.000-08:00

MARTES, EL VEINTIDOS DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE
My thoughts go out to those in Christchurch, New Zealand, after the devastating earthquake on Monday. I also extend this to the art community there, hoping that everyone is safe and sound.

2011-02-20T16:26:00.000-08:00

DOMINGO, EL VIENTE DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE
Kurt Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994). Happy Birthday Kurt!

2011-02-20T16:24:00.000-08:00

LUNES, EL VEINTIUNO DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE
Our latest acquisition, a ceramic crucifix by Seattle artist, Charles Krafft. The vertical text reads 'No Spitting On The Swans'.

2011-02-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

SABATO, EL DIECINUEVE DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE
Just about fallen of the face of the earth, well, here anyway, been busy with work and also had a week of gigs, exhibition openings and meet-ups with friends, which is when I usually set up my posts for this blog.
Went to two gigs of the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at Cosmopolitan on Tues and Wed, you can see pics by Jo here.
Also been busy finishing up, packing and sending paintings around the country. Some headed off to LA to La Luz De Jesus for a group exhibition opening on the 4th of March for the annual 'Everything But The Kitschen Sync, Vol XVI'.

St. Peter Crucified in New Zealand, 2011, oil on metal.

2011-02-14T06:54:00.000-08:00

LUNES, EL CATORCE DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Heart, 2010, oil on metal, 127mm x 174mm / 5in x 6 3/4in

2011-02-14T06:40:00.000-08:00

DOMINGO, EL TRECE DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE
Recently completed paintings, destined for Brooklyn, New York. Some are developments from previous paintings and drawings, (the Nubian carving in the blender, the broken heart, la Mano Poderosa, the sphinx, the Chardin painting monkey) and some are new developments from drawings and sketches since moving to the USA. The devil on the toilet painting comes from a tradition of velvet paintings that I recently discovered on the internet, once I discovered it for myself, it seemed to keep popping up everywhere (google devil on the can/john/toilet an you'll come up with several examples on Ebay, etc.) I like the devil for a couple of reasons - I see it as a follow-on from the caganer tradition in Spain and also it reminds me of a statement by Russian painter Kasimir Malevich who stated that ikon painters from Russia painted the hairs on the devil's tail the same way they'd paint the hairs on God's beard...an interesting painting dilemma. I haven't got the source for the quote as I remember reading it over a decade ago, if I remember correctly, in a Harold Rosenberg article.

2011-02-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

VIERNES, EL ONCE DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE
Have been flat tack with new paintings for my next couple of shows. One in LA at La Luz De Jesus Gallery on Hollywood Blvd, which opens on the 4th of March, a little show in a cafe in Brooklyn opening next week and some works for an upcoming exhibition in Whanganui, New Zealand at the Rayner Bros. Will fill you in a bit later on with more details and the works in the shows.
In the meantime, here's a couple of studio shots:

2011-02-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

LUNES, SIETE DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE
third and final installation photo from 'One Wall / Thirty-Three Paintings' at Enrique Nevarez Studio at Blackbird, 1551 S. Commerce St, Las Vegas. The exhibition was for one night only, but the works can be viewed on my website at the link above.

2011-02-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

DOMINGO, SEIS DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE
second installation photo from 'One Wall / Thirty-Three Paintings' at Enrique Nevarez Studio at Blackbird, 1551 S. Commerce St, Las Vegas.

2011-02-04T09:23:00.000-08:00

VIERNES, CUATRO DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE
Tonight is my little exhibition 'One Wall / Thirty-Three Paintings' at Enrique Nevarez Studio at Blackbird, 1551 S. Commerce St, Las Vegas. It's only up for for one night and I'l be reconfiguring the hanging throughout the night, trying to have some fun with the works and making some different narratives with them. I'll be taking photos of the installations and adding them through the night on my website. Some of the works in the exhibition are online here.
If you're in Las Vegas, come along, introduce yourself and say hi.

2011-02-02T21:17:00.000-08:00

JUEVES, TRES DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE
A little experiment - I spilt some indian ink the other day over some pieces of aluminum that I had laid out ready to prime for oil paintings. It was damned expensive ink too, so I spread it over a couple of the pieces and let it dry. This afternoon, while watching a doco on Delacroix, I picked up the piece and started scratching into it with a compass. It reminded me of the scraperboard drawings we did at school, but those ones were on cardboard prepared with a layer of clay, then covered with indian ink. In a way I like this better as you get the glistening of the shiny metal when exposed. You can see in the photo below, there were some areas where the ink didn't take to the surface of the metal as there must have been some oil-based residue on the surface, which acted as a resist to the ink and when scratching into it, whole flakes came off. Something I'll need to assess if I want to use this medium and technique.

I like how this technique lines up with my scrimshaw which are halted at present due to not having the tools to make them. This is like the photographic negative of them.

2011-02-02T15:31:00.000-08:00

MIERCOLES, DOS DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE

After a couple of months, I sat down and decided to finish the spleen painting. I actually posted it back in November, last year, here on my blog. Based on the Catholic 'Sacred Heart', I ended up thinking it would be best to keep the imagery reasonably generic and then went to work drawing sketches of what I thought were good analogies for 'venting', and to keep it kind of upbeat for such a tempestuous subject. I decided on the flick of a rubberband, the violence of the broken bottle as a weapon , wrist-slitting, a gunstapler attack on a penis (as seen on Dirty Sanchez) and a snail traveling over a razorblade.

2011-01-31T15:14:00.001-08:00

LUNES, EL TRIENTIUNO DE ENERO, VEINTE-ONCE
I've just finished a new little version of 'The Teacher' (you can see a bigger version of it in yesterday's post), made to fit a decorative frame I found at a swapmeet recently. As I used to do in New Zealand, I'd trawl junk shops and opshops for old period frames to mount my paintings in. Often, I'd have to work on a specific sized surface that I'd have to cut especially for the frame rebate. It was a hassle if I didn't pull-off the painting as then I'd have to have another go at repainting the idea, trying to get it right for the frame. I recently also found an old photographic frame for an 8x10 Ambrotype or tintype, so I've painted a retablo of an old view camera to mount in it. I'll post that as soon as I've photographed the work in the frame.

2011-01-28T09:45:00.000-08:00

VIERNES, EL VEINTIOCHO DE ENERO, VEINTE-ONCE
'The Teacher', 2010, oil on metal, 8in x 10 1/2in.

2011-01-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

MIERCOLES, EL VEINTISEIS DE ENERO, VEINTE-ONCE
'Family Portrait', 2011, oil on metal, 8in x 10 1/2in.
One of my favourite paintings so far this year, mostly because of the colours of the background and how they relate to the figures and forms. I resisted putting too many forms in this painting, especially as it's a family portrait (which in my family are only taken when EVERYONE is home). There are familiar symbols, the Liberty/Zelandia figure with the Parthenon head, the bees, my Great Grandfather's Rotherham pocket watch, the Southern Cross and the Eye of Provenance. The text, 'Historia Luget' comes from an inscription of the tomb of Leonardo Bruni in Santa Croce in Florence, Italy, a moving two words, that can be taken in a 'glass half empty/half full' kind of way.
The camera is starting to reappear in my paintings too, mostly because of it's 'birth' is so close to that of New Zealand's signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. In several new paintings, the camera signifies the birth of a nation, which in turn has sparked off many new ideas on that topic. One o the initial pattern recognitions was Griffith's early 1900's film by the same name.

2011-01-25T17:28:00.000-08:00

MARTES, EL VEINTICINCO DE ENERO, VEINTE-ONCE
A one-night-only exhibition that I'm having in Las Vegas in a couple of weeks time. I'll post a link to the new work on my website shortly.

Matthew Couper Studio

(from left to right) 'Multi-tasking', 'Financial Bloodlines' and 'Capitol Notions'all 2011all oil on metalPaintings 9 1/2" x 7 1/2" Frames 16" x 14"

(from left to right) 'Multi-tasking', 'Financial Bloodlines' and 'Capitol Notions'
all 2011
all oil on metal
Paintings 9 1/2" x 7 1/2"
Frames 16" x 14"