Matthew Best

My series of drawings, 30 Radiographic Shooting Sketches will be on display this summer at the Studio (http://thestudionh.blogspot.com/) in Laconia, NH. There will be an opening reception on Friday, July 6.

These drawings were executed on paper that I found while exploring the abandoned Packard plant in Detroit, MI. Among the rubble was a small pile of "radiographic shooting sketches." While a few of them are stained and folded, I was immediately excited by the possibilities they presented. Inspired by the Packard plant's combination of architectural rubble and graffiti I started the series of drawings once I got back to my studio.

I used the shooting sketches like the graffiti artists used the building, a "found" surface to react to. The rectangle within each sheet was my space to play with, to ignore, to fight with.

Radiographic Shooting Sketch #5, 8.5 by 11. Ink on found paper.

Installation shot

closer up

Also on view will be fashion dolls created by my life partner and studio mate, Paul Pham (http://dollcis.com/). It will be the first time we have shown our work together outside of our studio.

Bring your quarters, the 50 cents drawing box will also be on display!

The other half of my studio (and life) belongs to fashion doll artist, Paul Pham (http://dollcis.com/) and his company, Dollcis. I thought I would turn the camera to the other half of the room and show you what happens there.  Paul’s dolls, “the Numina” are 16” fashion dolls. Paul creates all aspects of the dolls himself, from the original sculpture, the clothes, even hand painting the faces and bodies. As he says on his own website, the dolls are meant to “inspire and delight with their combination of realism, aesthetics, and high fashion.”

Below: Two of the Numina, Grey and Asher