Matthew Best

I began a busy summer by moving studios. Same building, different floor, more space. The extra space is such a luxury and has really helped my work by giving me more space to move and maybe the best part, storage space so I'm not tripping over my own work.

I've done a lot of drawing this summer. This drawing is from a series I've designated the $25 drawings. They are of roughly uniform size, 11 by 15 inches. All are ink on paper. They began as a way of using up older drawings that didn't work. I tore the paper into quarters and used the backside of the paper as a warm-up for the day. What began as a warm-up has turned into a stack of drawings and an exciting way of generating new imagery.

Untitled drawing, 22 by 30 inches. Ink on paper.

A second series of drawings was inspired by the move to the new studio. The previous tenant of the studio left behind a plexiglass box with 50 cents embossed on it. I don't know what he used it for but I immediately thought it had possibilities.

In the process of drawing I generate a lot of scrap paper. I decided that I could do a series of small sketches and sell them for 50 cents to studio visitors. It has become a lot of fun to work on these drawings, the box contains scraps of old drawings, modified pieces of paper that I've used to test colors on, prints I did in 1995 that I drew on top of.

Personally I think the most valuable part of it has been the reevaluation of doodles that I normally would have recycled. There are some exciting things happening there.

It is currently hanging next to the studio door slowly filling up with quarters.

My paintings have changed this summer. I've started working with this linear, quasi-symmetrical imagery inspired by half remembered dreams and exploring the space between drawing and writing/calligraphy. Above are three 18 by 18 inch acrylic on panel paintings that have turned into an unofficial triptych.