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Michael Cina's avatar

Post Chapel pieces are very nice. Thanks for the kind words.

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Chris's avatar

I for one am in love with Post Chapel, in white and gold paper. The way the light works with it is spectacular to me.

I've never had the visceral reaction you describe to art, and though I love and appreciate it, for me it is more about the context at the time and where it fits in my space as well as the piece itself. I do, however, love the poetry of your description and the feelings that evokes in me. Wonderful, and please keep writing. It isn't so much of a void you are typing into as a white space you are giving context to for me anyway. And I appreciate it a lot.

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Brenton Henry's avatar

The Post Chapel Studies feel like a gentle reminder that our own perceptions are constrained by the singular point of view through which we view our surroundings. Providing a visual clue through muted reflection - to the things hidden from our eyes - one such study would appear to serve as a tacit announcement of this hidden world. More so, it highlights our inability to fully comprehend the piece's true content without first making a substantial change to our own critical outlook. In the end, it may still not be possible to obtain such an "uncovering" view and we would need to accept that it will never become fully observable. Sometimes, the closest point that we can get to "omniscience" is aided through our interpretations of others' experiences.

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Matthew Shlian's avatar

DAMN Brenton. You are my new publicist. I can pay you in art. <3

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Brenton Henry's avatar

I would gladly accept your art as payment. My current piece needs friends. <3

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Ryan Cuppernull's avatar

Really enjoyed this, both the writing and the new art. Thanks for the book recommendation too, definitively going to check out 39 Microlectures

In Proximity of Performance!

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Kristin's avatar

Thank you for this - really enjoyed the musings, the writing, and the glimpses of new work. Was reminded of a wonderful professor in design school who said, “notice the things you notice.” It’s always stuck with me.

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Matthew Shlian's avatar

"Pay attention to the things you are paying attention to" always stuck with me. I found that keeping a sketchbook long enough and you begin to see larger patterns to the way you are thinking.

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endquote's avatar

I didn’t cry at the chapel, but I probably just wasn’t looking closely enough. Looking forward to the new series!

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Jade Q's avatar

I am here and reading your reaction to the pieces (seems like such an insignificant word) reminded me of how I react to the giant fireworks displays and IMAX shows about space. I am not entirely sure why but I always end up crying throughout the entire show. The only thing the fireworks and space shows have in common are that they happen in the dark. I wonder what my reaction will be when I finally get to the Rothko Chapel. No matter - I will revel in it - my body deciding to react in the moment! Type into the void and someone might just reply. Me ke aloha nui - Jade

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Kate Ertmann's avatar

Thanks for this, all of this- the commentary and the glimpses into your new work. I join others above to say that Post Chapel 2 has something special going on with it and

it’s not only the colors in it (tho they are quite appealing).

I mainly wanted to comment that I had a very similar/ overwhelming reaction a few months back when I visited The Guggenheim and saw their exhibition of Gego’s “Measuring Infinity” . I legit burst into tears, feeling like I had never seen in real life the expression of what has been in my head since I was a little kid. I’ve been researching her work and her writings about her work since then, and am so grateful for the clarity it has brought me. I hope your experience seeing Rothko’s work in person offers you dividends of clarity and expansion, too.

I agree that a work is an object overflowing it’s frame. Absolutely.

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Matthew Shlian's avatar

Kate,

I had tickets to the Gego show at its opening. Something happened earlier that day and we had to leave the city that afternoon and we missed it. Still feeling crushed. She's one of those artists that not enough people know about.

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Kate Ertmann's avatar

Oh dang, sorry to be the one to (unknowingly) affirm that you missed a great exhibit. I know books are a less visceral substitution for an in-person experience, but the “Untangling the Web: Gego’s Reticulária” book is filled with delicious stuff.

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Gina Pisello's avatar

When I saw your Post Chapel pieces on Instagram recently, I knew something new was afoot. I love knowing the story behind the pieces now, at least as far as you can turn the thoughts and feelings within yourself into something people outside of your head can comprehend. It is always a treat to hear from you and I hope the classes go well. Now I have to go look up all the artists (except Rothko) that you mentioned because my art education is woefully lacking.

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Logan Rhyne's avatar

Here’s the void talking back - this stopped me in a hectic moment and I found myself reading all the way through. I don’t often find myself pushed beyond form and structure and execution in my appreciation of structure, so it was enlightening to read your eloquent reprisal of the experience at the Rothko chapel.

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Caitlin M.'s avatar

This made for a wonderful pause and reflection to an otherwise normally busy Tuesday. Thanks for sharing.

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Lynda Cole's avatar

Hi Matt. I loved your words and folding, especially Post Chapel 2. I’m going to get out Irwin’s book and reread it. Would love to see Post Chapel 2 in person. Possible?

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Matthew Shlian's avatar

possible. I'm thinking of having an open studio night in December. I'll let you know.

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Lee Johnson's avatar

You are definitely not typing into the void. I was really saddened to miss your show in Houston. We had done a college visit to Rice University for my son earlier that week. It's a 4 hour drive each way and we drove down and back in 2 days. Doing it again in one week was just too much. Even though I was so ready to walk up to you and say "Snails!"

It's wild how when I post some of my personal noodlings from 3D computer graphics to Instagram, several of my friends comment how what I do blows them away. And I always say "you should see the work of the people I follow on Instagram, they blow me away". So its kind of awesome to learn what artists blow you away. I had not heard of Mike Cina before, but visiting his site has links to GMUNK (aka Bradley Munkowitz) whose work I have followed for awhile. No doubt both of them have artists that blow them away.

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Windy Chien's avatar

You’re not typing into the void. Thanks for your writing Matthew.

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