Matthew W. Litteken--Visual Artist

Solo show @ Seminole State College

2010-03-20T20:54:00.003-04:00

A few select images from my recent solo show, "Watch the Left Hand Closely", @ Seminole State College in Sanford, Florida. The first image is a wall installation that I proposed and completed specifically for this exhibit.

Click on any image to enlarge.

A few in-process and detailed pictures of the installation for this exhibit. The installation piece is entitled "Watch the Left Hand Closely". Dimensions are variable, but the entire piece spans approximately 8 feet x 20 feet.

USA - Helsinki, Finland Traveling Print Exhibition

2010-02-01T16:24:00.011-05:00

Eva G. Farris Art Gallery
Thomas More College
January: Friday 15th- Feb. 6th
Opening Reception: Friday, January 15, 2010 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Thomas More College’s Eva G. Farris Art Gallery and Helsinki Galleries in cooperation with the upcoming film, 'And White Was The Night'

Click on the title of this post to visit the Eva G. Farris Art Gallery blog.

About the film:

The theme in the film “And White Was The Night” is the evil created by social systems (in this case various crime organizations) and their power over individuals. The film touches a number of important topics, including drug and human trafficking and child soldiers. The story is set in the forests and suburbs of Helsinki (Finland), but it periodically takes you back to the jungles and towns of Colombia. This I think creates an interesting contrast. Even more of a contrast is the white night of Finland and the pitch black darkness of the jungle.

An important aspect of this film was to break the traditional genre boundaries. So the film has many elements that could be identified either as drama, action or even horror. To some it might even be experimental at times. I hope this shows in the art as well.”

-Mika Rantonen / Director

For more information on the film, please visit:

http://www.andwhitewasthenight.com/

http://www.andwhitewasthenight.com/trailers.html

"Pomp and Circumstance"
9 inches x 12 inches
Collage, graphite, and mixed media on paper

"Over and Into, Inside"
12 inches x 9 inches
Collage, cut paper, wood block, and graphite on paper

"Letters" Exhibit @ The LoDi Project

2010-01-10T20:06:00.007-05:00

The "Letters" show is a juried, themed exhibit in Raleigh, NC that investigates the role of typography as addressed in a multiplicity of approaches, from video to photography to digital design to graffiti to traditional painting. The exhibit seeks to simultaneously recognize and explore the important relationship of the signal to the signified.

Click on any image to enlarge.

"Face Value # 1"
48 inches x 42 inches
Oil on canvas

"After-dinner Mint"
45 inches x 35 inches
Oil on canvas

"Variety Show" @ Space 237

2009-10-16T17:17:00.008-04:00

"Variety Show" is a juried show showcased at Space 237 Galleries and Clayspace in Toledo, Ohio. The exhibit included 14 artists displayed on the sprawling 4th floor of the building, but each artist had multiple pieces juried into the show.

Click on the title of this post to visit the Exhibit archives for Space 237.
Click on any image to enlarge the image.

This one of the most recent pieces included in the exhibit.

Distance

Oil on canvas
35 inches x 45 inches

"Exposed 2009" at the ArtWorks Gallery

2009-07-04T16:01:00.002-04:00

"Exposed: Top Secret Artists from 2008" (June 26 - July 31, 2009) is an invitational exhibit, featuring the work of top juried artists from the 2008 Secret ArtWorks event. I was honored to be among those chosen.

Click on image to enlarge.

"Blood-letting"
Collage and Mixed Media on Paper
12 inches x 15 inches

PINNACLE: National Juried Exhibition

2009-06-06T19:09:00.003-04:00

Foster Tanner Fine Arts Gallery
Florida A & M University
Tallahassee, Florida

(Juror: Grace R. Maloy, Director of Gadsden Arts Center)

Click on the title of this post to visit the Foster Tanner Fine Arts Gallery on FaceBook.
Click on any image to enlarge the image.

Reserve 2
Oil on Canvas
70 inches x 50 inches

2-Person Exhibit @ 1708 Gallery

2009-03-25T20:52:00.005-04:00

A Two Person Exhibit @ the 1708 Gallery

Matthew Litteken from his series The Fabric of Folly
Paho Mann from his series Junk Drawer

March 25—April 18, 2009

Images from the Artist Talk @ the opening reception on March 25th.

Click on the title of this post to visit the Exhibit archives for 1708 Gallery.
Click on any image to enlarge the image.

Invitational Show in Manhattan

2008-12-26T10:44:00.001-05:00

I was privileged to be invited to participate in a themed exhibit dealing with the notion of currency in art at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City (December 3 - January 22, 2008). During the run of the exhibit, the gallery director had indicated that my work was the impetus for the thematic content of the show.

Click on the title of this post to visit the website for the Hewitt Gallery at Marymount Manhattan College .

SECRET Artworks Exhibit 2008

2008-11-20T15:55:00.001-05:00

Four small works included in the invitational exhibit and fundraiser for ArtWorks Gallery in Cincinnati (November 2007). All works included in the exhibit were unsigned, and priced at $75 each. The artist's name was only revealed after the work had been purchased. The non-profit ArtWorks Gallery raised over $40,000 for various programming in the up-coming year.

"Innocent When you Dream"
7 inches x 5 inches
Wood block print, mixed media and graphite on paper

"Solace 1"
7 inches x 5 inches
Wood block print and graphite on paper

"Solace 2"
7 inches x 5 inches
Wood block print and collage on paper

"Between Here and There"
5 inches x 7 inches
Wood block print and mixed media on paper

New Work (2008)

2008-04-01T11:06:00.011-04:00

Some new work from this year. None have titles as of yet, as I am still working/tweaking them all.

"The Fabric of Folly" at the Art Mission Gallery (2008)

2008-03-10T12:36:00.007-04:00

My solo exhibit, "The Fabric of Folly", opened this past weekend (March 8, 2008) at the Art Mission Gallery in Binghamton, New York. I was present for the opening, but the drive home was grueling, particularly since Ohio got so much snow along the I-71 corridor. It took me over four and a half hours to drive home to Cincinnati once I hit Columbus. Well worth it, though.

Click on the title of this post to visit the Art Mission Gallery website.

SECRET Artworks Exhibit 2007

2007-11-15T15:24:00.017-05:00

Four small works included in the invitational exhibit and fundraiser for ArtWorks Gallery in Cincinnati (November 2007). All works included in the exhibit were unsigned, and priced at $75 each. The artist's name was only revealed after the work had been purchased. The non-profit ArtWorks Gallery raised over $30,000 for various programming in the up-coming year.

"Staid and Stoic"
7 inches x 5 inches
Monotype (wood block and cut rubber stamps) on Paper

"Listless and Restless"
7 inches x 5 inches
Monotype (wood block and cut rubber stamps) on Paper

"Found and Found Out"
5 inches x 7 inches
Monotype (wood block and cut rubber stamps) on Paper

"Time and Again"
5 inches x 7 inches
Monotype (wood block and cut rubber stamps) on Paper

"Trappings" at the Parkland Art Gallery

2007-09-27T12:35:00.009-04:00

"Trappings" is a three-person show at the Parkland Art Gallery at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois.

Click on the images to view larger versions.

New Work at Amy Baber Fine Art (Summer 2007)

2007-06-15T15:51:00.000-04:00

Epheme 2007
oil on panel
7 inches x 7 inches

Against a Kantian Sky 2 2007
oil on panel
7 inches x 7 inches

Ambigue 2007
oil on panel
7 inches x 7 inches

Collective Pinings 2007
oil on panel
30 inches x 40 inches

Works on view at Amy Baber Fine Art (Spring 2007)

2007-03-31T15:51:00.000-04:00

Left of Center 2007
oil on canvas
24 inches x 30 inches

Right of Center 2007
oil on canvas
24 inches x 30 inches

American Fancy 2007
oil on canvas
45 inches x 35 inches

Fashion/ Function 2 2007
oil on canvas
45 inches x 35 inches

"SECRET ArtWorks" Exhibit

2006-12-02T08:25:00.016-05:00

SECRET ArtWorks Exhibit

Three small works included in the invitational exhibit and fundraiser for ArtWorks Gallery in Cincinnati (November 2006). All works included in the exhibit were unsigned, and priced at $75 each. The artist's name was only revealed after the work had been purchased. The non-profit ArtWorks Gallery raised over $30,000 for various programming in the up-coming year.

Home Decor 2006
7 inches x 5 inches
Oil and Collage on paper

Drop/ Repeat 2 2006
7 inches x 5 inches
Oil and Collage on paper

Drop/ Repeat 3 2006
5 inches x 7 inches
Oil and China marker on paper

"In Process" Exhibit

2006-09-30T14:03:00.005-04:00

These are seven small paintings included in the exhibit In Process, the 2006 Faculty Show at the University of Dayton's Rike Center. They are now being exhibited at Amy Baber Fine Art in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Between (The Gap) 2006
oil on panel
7 inches x 7 inches

Intimate Vistas 2006
oil on panel
7 inches x 7 inches

Intimate Vistas 2 2006
oil on panel
7 inches x 7 inches

The Fabric of Folly 2 2006
oil on panel
7 inches x 7 inches

Untitled (N) 2006
oil on panel
7 inches x 7 inches

This Way Comes 2006
oil on panel
7 inches x 7 inches

Drop/ Repeat 2006
oil on panel
7 inches x 7 inches

"Magnitude SEVEN" exhibit

2006-07-11T16:35:00.002-04:00

magnitude SEVEN
Manifest Creative Research Gallery and Drawing Center
second annual international exhibit of small works

co-curated by Trevor Ponder

Featuring 30 works by 18 artists from eleven states and three countries. Works in the exhibit are from California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Ontario Canada, and Derby, United Kingdom.

Works by Yoonhee Choi, Margot Cormier Splane, Andrew Dailey, Dan Gerdeman, Kathy Goodell, Shane Harris, Jennifer Jenkins, Matthew Litteken, Joseph Macklin, Ladianne Mandel, Tom Mueske, Brent Payne, Nathan Poglein, Russ Revock, Alex Roulette, Gretchen Scharnagl, Kate Smith, and Vaughn Wascovich.

Media represented include painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, sculpture, and photography.This exhibit will conclude Manifest's second season of programming. Season 3 will begin in late September.

Read the full press-release here.
Download the announcement card here.

Images from top to bottom:

Untitled (E) 2006
oil on panel
7 inches x 7 inches

Intimate Vistas 2006
oil on panel
7 inches x 7 inches

Home Decor 2006
oil on panel
7 inches x 7 inches

Artist Statement

2006-04-11T20:37:00.000-04:00

Matthew W. Litteken
mwlitteken@nni.com

As a tangible item, currency is one of the most ephemeral things in the external, practical world, constantly defined and redefined in relationship to its fluctuating value. Money has become such an integral part of our consumer-based existence that the motif of currency is commonly used as a symbol of value or purchasing power. We are bombarded with its imagery, especially within televised advertising, printed coupons, and journalistic illustrations. Even with the rising technological substitutes for money, paper currency—actual, physical money—is still plainly capable of evoking delight and mystification. It is this mystification with value and money with which I am concerned in my work. Since value and its correlation to money are so transient, I am interested in questions such as: What do we value? Why? By what standards do we assign value? This question is particularly apt in light of the popular and easily-accessible means to purchase “manufactured” art and décor in such venues as the “big box” merchandise chains. My work investigates this aspect of consumerism through the exploitation of currency and value in a two-fold series of introspective paintings. The two projects, completed in tandem with one another, call for the personal inventory of spending practices and value assignments, predominantly in relation to art as commodity.

The first approach involves providing pictorial experiences in value-manipulated color as an integral part of the visual decoding and expression of my paintings. This occurs particularly through exploiting the tonal ranges and psychological associations with color. I find this extremely relevant, in that I seek to provide a “value experience” within my work, by representing the certain areas on the denominations in very similar tonal ranges, nearly devoid of contrast. One aspect of this project that intrigues me is the play on the meaning of the word “value”. Value, as it alludes to formal art issues, is the relative lightness or darkness of a color, and cannot be associated with the estimation of “more” or “less”. This assessment of value is a matter of relativity, which may be described only in terms of a color’s tint, tone, or shade. I relate this enigmatic definition to the fluctuation of both monetary and artistic value assignments within society: What is a good value? What makes x more valuable than y? But, more importantly, these works, as paintings, propound: what is the value that American society places upon the visual arts?

The second series revolves around the notion of aesthetics, or lack thereof, in American currency. With the totality of colorful figures and events of American history, why is U.S. currency so aesthetically dull? I have based this series largely upon the eighteenth and nineteenth century ideals of the sublime and the “awe-inspiring”, where art objects came to be equated with, but distinct from, the transformative, contemplative power of religious relics. One of the visual tools these artists employed to evoke the “awe-some” is the imitative depictions of natural landscapes, particularly through the fundamental use of clouds, or “sky-scapes”. My tactic involves the appropriation and reconfiguration of the decorative elements of U.S. currency situated within these “scapes” to provide the viewer with the ironic sense of the sublime as it relates to the dry motif of money, while raising aforementioned issues of artistry, value, and pictorial worth. Is aesthetic beauty valued, or even relevant? What do we value (monetarily or aesthetically) in art? By what standards are these judgments made? In context of the critical assessment, and consequent taste, of the viewer I regard my work, not so much as the answers to these questions, but rather, as the inquisitors.