G
ood luck trying to put Matthew Dutton, 29, in a category. Yes, he’s an artist, but that description would leave out his experiences as a brick mason, construction worker and electrician. An Orlando, Fla., native, Dutton moved to Chattanooga when he was about 14. “Everything was different, “he said, “I didn’t even have a pair of pants when I moved here, you know, I grew up going to the beach.” Dutton also grew up exploring his creativity, from drawing cartoons to disassembling products to see how they worked. His curiosity carried him, then a high school senior, to his first show of paintings at the Chattanooga Market, where his talent was affirmed; most of his pieces sold. “After that, I was like, man, people are really interested in something I had made with my hands,” he said. Later in his education, he deviated from painting to crafting 3-D sculptures. “To me, sculpture is a 3-D painting,” he explained, “because if you look at all the planes and surfaces [of a sculpture], you have to treat all of that like painting.” When he starts a project, he works back and forth between two main steps: concept and design. With his current series of creatures, which he calls figments, Dutton took an organic approach by letting andthe molds guide his weresin cover state of the arts of art. “Through just experimenting with mateChattanooga rials they started taking a life of their own,” with locally made he said, “I’m making my own mythology, you jewelry, pottery, know?” art, glassware “The Collector,” a much creature that carries and more... what at first looks like junk on its back, holds Local Artists – Pottery: Mark Issenberg • Glass: Prentice Hicks • Photography: Tom Cory sentimental value not only as one of the first
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330 Frazier Ave | Mon-Fri: 10-6 Sat: 10-5 | 423.266.0585 | plumnellyshop.com Photo • Courtesy Matt Dutton
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Suzanne Bishop, owner chattanoogapulse.com • AUGUST 22-28, 2013 • The Pulse • 43