Matthew Best

Installation shot of Suburban Foraging in Public Spaces in Open Air @ the Nave Gallery, opening today, running until September 26.

http://artsomerville.org/nave/2010/openair.html

The section to the left is my foraging activities in 2009, each vertical column represents the month. The images are arranged chronologically (more or less...)  It begins in February of 2009 and ends in November 2009. It expands and contracts with the coming of spring and summer. The right section is a portion of 2010, still under development.

Detail shot:

 The installation consists of multiple deconstructed sketchbook pages. I take these sketchbooks with me as I go out to parks, yards (with permission...) and I sketch what I find there and/or document the plants that I harvest there. Each page encapsulate an experience, a plant  I found, the weather, smells, anything that makes that experience unique. They serve as both a diary and a calender that I can refer back to again and again.

Here are a few images from today's "Coffee with the Artists" event at Las Manos Gallery (http://www.lasmanosgallery.com/).

The show has been extended for another month, with new work (including 8 more of my drawings) available.

My ongoing installation foraging project will be on display this coming September in a show called "Open Air." It will take place at the Nave Gallery in Somerville, MA.The show will run September 3-26 with a closing reception to take place on Saturday, September 25 from 6-8pm. It will be the first time entries created in 2009-2010 will be on display.

More information can be found here:  http://www.artsomerville.org/nave/2010/openair.html 

ABOUT THE SHOW
The outdoors have long been an inspiration for artists and probably will be forever. Over time, our interactions with and understanding of nature have changed. Today's artists create new genres in response to our diverse concerns while honoring the artworks that have come before them. Open Air brings together five artists enthralled by the world outside their front doors.

ARTISTS

Matthew Best
www.mjbest.squarespace.com

Nathalie Miebach
www.nathaliemiebach.com

Carolyn Muskat
www.muskatstudios.com

Ted Ollier
www.mindhuestudio.com

Jason Shoemaker
www.33studios.com

ABOUT THE RECEPTION
Saturday, 25 September 2010, 6-8 p.m.
Join us for a concert of new music as well as the reception for Open Air.

6:30 - "The Passing of Weather"
Weather Score #1, Musical Buoy in Search Towards A New Shore
Weather Score #2, External Weather, Internal Storm
And a new, currently untitled world premier!

Elaine Rombola (www.elainerombola.com) and Nathalie Miebach have collaborated on musical scores translated from Miebach's meteorological sculptures. There will be approximately half an hour of new music inspired by weather patterns and played on piano and the church's organ followed by the reception for Open Air. These compositions open up Miebach's sculptures and unlock the quiet emotions woven into her sculptures. If you are a fan of contemporary composition, this performance should not be missed!

I am in the midst of preparing for two shows this month, the first is ReModernist,  (http://lasmanosgallery.blogspot.com/)  in Chicago, IL at Las Manos Gallery. It is opening Friday, August 6. I have spent the last few days framing and boxing up the work, after it is shipped today it will be a great relief.

The second is in New Britian, CT outside of the Mayor's office in City Hall. I will have four paintings in this show (one of which is below). I don't know all the dates for the show yet, but there is talk of a closing reception in September. As I get more information I will update this entry. This will be the first time I have been in a show in my home state of Connecticut since 1999!

Untitled, 2010. Acrylic on canvas. 36 by 48