edited by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam
Matthew Long has been involved with Spiderweb Salon since, in his estimation, the 3rd or 4th event, about five years ago, in the Wallace backyard. A hilarious member of the troupe Matthew the 3nius, Matthew has long made us laugh so hard our stomachs hurt. He’s also got a visual side as a rad watercolorist and designer, and on Saturday, February 24, you can learn a thing or two about watercolor, too, at Spiderweb Salon’s Happy Hour Art Workshop at Dan’s Silverleaf from 4:00-6:00PM.
Your design work is all over Denton. How does it feel to walk past your work out in the open on a regular basis?
It's a rewarding feeling. I'm more myself when I'm creating so the product becomes a fond memory. Even the stress and challenges of the process become positive experiences.
What subjects are you drawn to in your non-commissioned work?
I'm trying to illustrate the feeling of being in a very limited human form that imagines more. I want to reveal polarity, reflection and melancholy. I kind of want to evoke that feeling that you get when you remember the fading details of a dream. I must admit however that I'm often just painting because that's what happens.
In no particular order, I'll list some things I keep coming back to: the moon, electrical devices such as outlets and old phones, scissors, birds, astronauts, buffalo, nimbuses, people checking their pulse, landscapes that seem abandoned, biblical stuff like Jonah cutting himself out of a whale, filigrees and textiles, and of course skulls and figures of humans.
What have been some of the most rewarding experiences you've had as an artist?
The most rewarding experience for me as an artist is the process of cultivating imagination.
Who are some of your influences?
Anselm Kiefer, El Greco, Diego Velasquez, Piet Mondrian, Antony Gormley, Egon Schiele, the many unknown monks responsible for iconography and ornate books, Rembrandt, Gustav Klimt and my child self. I forgot so many and I'm really trying to move into an era where my influences aren't dead.
Any more upcoming shows or projects you'd like to share?
I am working on a new body of work for a solo exhibition at Voertman's Gallery coming up early this summer. I'll be posting works in progress on my Instagram page.
Matthew Long is a painter, sign maker and designer living in Denton, Tx. He has worked with businesses including East Side Social Club, the Greater Denton Arts Council, Paschall Bar, Aura Coffee, Perfecto School of Music and LSA burger.
If you’d like to be featured on the site, please use our submission page: https://www.spiderwebsalon.com/submit
Matthew Long | photo by courtney marie