Matthew R. Paden (b. 1977) is an award-winning contemporary abstract artist, art coach & blogger living in Oklahoma with his beautiful wife and daughter. Matt's larger-than-life pieces astonish in both private and public exhibits.
He approaches his subjects with as few preconceived notions as possible, allowing viewers the space to collaborate with the moment. Matt strives for honesty and to look at things as they are, without judgment. The result is something that is at once observant and intimate.
Paring down aesthetics, Paden relies on gestures, color, form, and composition to heighten the subtle nuances of people and places in a simple yet revealing style. It is this mix of intention and intuition that brings depth and mystery to his colorful, dynamic pieces, suggesting life beyond the canvas.
ABOUT
THE ARTIST
"Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist."
― Pablo Picasso
Statement
Why Do I Paint?
"I have always loved art — seeing it, learning about it, experiencing it, and creating it. Perhaps, it is the unbridled freedom in expressing, and questioning the often-chaotic world around me.
I paint because it feeds my soul when words fail, colors, and brash brush strokes upon a canvas convey an understanding at a deeper level. Doing something that I love, something that allows me to explore, and be in the moment, to experience the world in a fundamentally different way — is such a precious gift."
Famous Faces
"With diverse influences as Elton John and Clint Eastwood, my "Famous Faces," Spontaneous Realism series juxtapositions representational art with fluidity and vulnerability apparent in abstract expressionism. Splashes of vivid color along with dynamic brushwork fuse vigorous combinations synthesized from opaque and transparent layers enhanced into a prestige manifesto.
By reconnoiter the relentless credo of Pop-culture and the emotional reminiscence of celebrity icons from decades past. Only leaving a sense of decadence and the chance for a new understanding. As momentary derivatives become static through emergent and various practice, the keen observer is left with a subtle clue to cultures that are fading away."
Vitae
EXHIBITIONS
GROUP
July - December 2020
Carpe Artem Gallery, Oklahoma City
June 27th - 28th
OK Art Crawl - OVAC
Chickasha, OK
June 6th - June 27th, 2020
Steve Liggett Studio, Tulsa, OK
Poetica Erotica - "Enchanted"
June 2019
Steve Liggett Studio, Tulsa, OK
First Annual Tulsa Erotic Art Show -
"Sensual Chaos"
May 2019
Water's Edge Winery - Oklahoma City, OK "Bold & Vivid"
February 2019
A.C.T. Gallery, Tahlequah, Oklahoma -
"Erotic Art Show"
January 2019
A.C.T. Gallery, Tahlequah, Oklahoma -
"Tri-County Art Show"
February 2003
Art Institute of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ
"Into The Sunset"
February 2002
Art Institute of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ
"Expressions of Blue"
January 1997
Congressional Art Competition, Washington, D.C. -
"Victory Touchdown"
October 1996
Congressional Art Competition, Salem, Oregon -
"Victory Touchdown"
November 1995
Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR