M AT T D E V I N E : Western Skies J U LY 2 1 – A U G U S T 1 3 , 2 0 2 2
FRONT COVER
T H AT ’ S H OW YOU PLAY G AME # 9 BACK COVER
AN E M ON ES # 3, TEAL
M AT T D E V I N E : Western Skies J U LY 2 1 – A U G U S T 1 3 , 2 0 2 2
INTRODUCTION
For much of the 20th century the term “drawing in space” has defined a
Further, the elements composing Devine’s sculptures themselves so often
major aspect of modernist sculpture. Concisely describing the appearance
suggest brushstrokes — twisted or flailing ribbons clinging to one another in
of a kind of three-dimensional artwork, acknowledging the effect it has of
braided strands or squeezed-together copses, but feeling not so much like
adding a spatial dimension to a linear activity, “drawing in space” also
trees but like paintings of trees, paintings rendered by color-inebriated Fauves.
acknowledges the expansion of sculptural repertory into non- or sub-
Devine, clearly, is no Matisse manqué, indulging in riotous multicoloration;
volumetric areas. Pablo Picasso, of course, is credited with some of the
but whatever single color he chooses for whatever shape he is formulating
earliest such sculpture, but the term can serve to identify large parts of the
glows with the same giddy intensity. Unusual for a sculptor — certainly one
oeuvres of artists such as Alexander Calder, David Smith, Eduardo Chillida,
working in what we by now consider traditional formats — Devine delights
and even Richard Tuttle.
in color and engages it crucially in the formulation of his objects.
But what about “painting in space”? Painting, too, is a (basically) two-
This keyed-up palette animates Devine’s structures at the same time as it
dimensional medium, but many of its conditions differ from those of drawing.
elucidates their doubled identity. They are red or yellow or white wholes,
Thus, one could project that “painting in space” shares characteristics with
yet, with the shapes articulated so vibrantly, they are no less red or yellow or
but markedly diverges from “drawing in space.” And in the work of Matt
white sums of parts. This chroma-charged dual identity helps the sculptures
Devine we can see what kind of impact this divergence yields.
not only attract but focus our attention. This posits the objects as eccentric,
Devine’s approach is nothing if not painterly. It builds on three dimensions, but does not rely, at least primarily, on the expression of volume. Rather, it is
hybrid presences and prompts us to note all the more readily the relationship of whole to segment, a relationship animating the bulk of Devine’s soulptures.
concerned with shape, with the contour(s) of both the integral object and the
What we find in this dynamic is that the compositional concepts undergirding
myriad segments that comprise that object. The object does not read flat —
the objects act not as imposed exterior formulas but as visual armatures,
its rich surface textures as well as its volumetric characteristics (including the
around which swirls the whole-versus-parts argument. “Painting in space” in
incorporation of otherwise empty space) project it into the void and promise
this instance means making a thing out of many things — without making
to reward touch with an almost botanic bristle — but it does read pictorially.
those many things any less visible. The parts function as branches or even
Its silhouette is pronounced, its bouquet of elements describe an entirety
cells, comprising a whole out of similar (but rarely identical) elements. Such
energized by its parts, and, most notably, it is colored, vividly colored —
elements maintain their distinctiveness without having to stand out among
usually a single color, but all the more present for that emphatic hue.
the other elements; like instruments in an orchestra or athletes on a team, the
Color is hardly the exclusive domain of painting. But the kind of color Devine employs, and the kind(s) of material with which he polychromes (or, if you would, monochromes) his steel and aluminum structures, introduce the surface viscerality of painting to a much different kind of support. Indeed,
segments, otherwise equal, fall into their respective places according to the needs of what is essentially a sculptural organism. They operate less through the patterning of repeated units and more through the orchestration of those units into an overall thing.
the very idea of “support,” particularly in the optical sense, is a conundrum
Given this, we understand Devine’s sculptures as macrocosms no less than
here: is the metal supporting the paint it bears, or is the color supporting the
as self-reliant presences. Their thingness is by and large dependent on his
composition it envelops?
ability to generate individual units as objects unto themselves, operating on a
microcosmic level where coherence manifests once the sculptor starts putting
and presence within and around sculptural factors, Matt Devine capitalizes,
the micro-objects together into macro-objects. This condition, traditionally,
subtly and emphatically by turns, on the effects of both media. It is possible
is more a property of painting than of soulpture. Paintings, after all, are
to paint in space, he demonstrates, if not with airborne brushstrokes, then
compilations of brushstrokes, no matter how facile their blend, and Devine
with their embodied equivalents, and if not with color suspended in the void
proceeds — reasons and fabricates — in this fashion. His wall-hung pieces,
(as Jules Olitski envisioned), then with color applied to sculptural foundation.
especially those that hug the wall plane, often seem composed of metallic
Painting in space is not a trick: it is a circumstance, a syncretic approach,
brushwork, and for all intents and purposes they are. There is a lightness
logical and ripe.
and expansiveness to the gestures made by the components, no matter how small and/or self-contained; they leap and gyrate in place, like ballerinas at a barre, choreographed into a dominant shape even before the corps de ballet becomes a true body. It is this sense of transition, of building something big out of many small (or so many not-so-small) units, which we find powering and defining Devine’s sculptures. Their potency is not in the structures and poses we find them so much as in the structures and poses that seem to be coming next. Devine is no kineticist: his sculptural premise is not one of Calderian flux, but one of fixity, even monumentality. But he fills his monuments with potential as well as actual energy. By constructing them out of myriad sub-units, he infers that the pieces can change with the addition or subtraction of such sub-units — and demonstrates that, in the context of his aesthetic, this addition or subtraction need not, indeed should not be actualized, but must remain a suggestion, a leap of imagination the viewer is induced to make through direct encounter with the sculpture. Devine’s sculptures are not simply sums of parts, but sums of possibilities. This fluidity of presence is not a quality we associate with static threedimensional art. We associate it rather with work in two dimensions, in particular with painting. Painting exerts its mystique in part through its equal engagement of substance and description, that is, materiality and image, and the give and take between the two. Even modernist sculpture tends to maintain a dualistic obduracy, one in which image is image, material is material, the exigencies of one factor dictating those of the other. Here, however, the dialogue is far more balanced. Maintaining a painterly quality
PETER FRANK Los Angeles
M AT T D E V I N E
I am an artist — there is no plan B. This is who I am and what I must do. It is essential for my well-being. As a process artist, I thrive on the creativity and repetition of daily studio practices. Ideas evolve, both good and bad, and it is my job to sift through the chaos and see what arises.
Matt Devine is a self-taught sculptor working with steel, stainless steel, aluminum and bronze. Born and raised in New England, Devine moved to California in 1995, where he learned to weld and fabricate metal while working alongside his father. The contrasts of nature and industry, light and shadow, chaos and order are themes found throughout Devine’s body of work. Pared-down organic shapes are formed from solid materials and welded together in harmonious accord,
contain chaos and push out the discord of an information-saturated culture. Since becoming a full-time artist in 2004, Devine has developed his signature sculpture style while building his fine art career. Devine is represented by highly-regarded contemporary art galleries across North America, Asia and Europe. His works can be found in a myriad of private, corporate and public art collections on five continents.
often allowing the metal to appear as light as paper. These contrasts, plus
Devine currently works and resides with his wife and daughter in
the relationships of patterns and boundaries, address Devine’s desire to
the Pacific Northwest.
AN E M ON ES # 3 Steel with powder coat 17” diam x 6” deep, each Alternate view above
ABOVE, CLOCKWISE:
AN E M ON ES # 3, B l ack; B l ue; White; Teal Steel with powder coat 17” diam x 6” deep, each
OPPOSITE:
AN E M ON E S # 3, Ye l l ow Steel with powder coat 17” diam x 6” deep, each
ON C E AGAI N Aluminum with powder coat 88” x 44” x 32” Detail above
LA LU Z # 10 Steel with powder coat 36” x 56” x 6” Detail above
V E LOU R S Aluminum with powder coat 44” x 44” x 8” Alternate view above
S OP L AN D O Stainless steel with concrete base 40” x 28” x 18”
T H AT ’ S H OW YOU PLAY G AME # 9 (6 PIECE SET ) Steel with powder coat 11” diam x 6” deep, each Alternate view above
I N S TA L L AT I O N V I E W S
C U R R I C U L U M V I TA E SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
DTR Modern, Solo Show, Washington, D.C.
2022
Laura Rathe Fine Art, Undone, Matt Devine and James Verbicky, Houston, TX
Laura Rathe Fine Art, Group Show, Dallas, TX (November)
Stephanie Breitbard Fine Art, Group Show, San Francisco, CA
Laura Rathe Fine Art, Group Show, Houston, TX (August)
DTR Modern, Matt Devine and Robert Mars, Boston, MA
Diehl Gallery, Western Skies, Jackson, WY
Laura Rathe Fine Art, Double Vision Group Show, Dallas, TX
Samuel Owen, Group Show, Boston, MA
2014
Cafmeyer Gallery, Organized Chaos, Knokke-Heist, Belgium
Laura Rathe Fine Art, Group Shows, Dallas and Houston, TX
2021
Jennifer Kostuik Gallery, California, Matt Devine and
Laura Rathe Fine Art, The Little Things, Dallas, TX Julie Nester Gallery, Nature and Light, Park City, UT 2020 Laura Rathe Fine Art, Breaking Bad, Houston, TX Julie Nester Gallery, Two Person Show, Park City, UT 2019 JoAnne Artman Gallery, Lineage: Matt Devine, Anthony Hunter & Adriana Oliver, New York, NY Laura Rathe Fine Art, Beyond Boundaries: Matt Devine & Nina Tichava, Dallas, TX Cafmeyer Gallery, Two Person Show, Knokke-Heist, Belgium Belvedere Art Space, Group Show, Beirut, Lebanon Kostuik Gallery, Summer Group Show, Vancouver, BC, Canada JoAnne Artman Gallery, Flirting with Abstraction: Matt Devine and Anna Kinkade, Laguna Beach, CA Laura Rathe Fine Art, Matt Devine and Tony Magar, Houston, TX Lanoue Gallery, The Estate of Dirk de Bruycker with Matt Devine, Boston, MA 2018 Red Sea Gallery, Convergent Evolution, Singapore Simon Breitbard Fine Arts, In Depth, San Francisco, CA Cafmeyer Gallery, Group Show, Knokke-Heist, Belgium Diehl Gallery, Group Show, Jackson, WY DTR Modern, Group Show, Boston, MA 2017 Jennifer Kostuik Gallery, Matt Devine and David Burdeny, Vancouver, BC, Canada Cafmeyer Gallery, Matt Devine and Dorit Levinstein, Knokke-Heist, Belgium
Alex Couwenberg, Vancouver, BC, Canada Galerie d’Orsay, Matt Devine and Richard Roblin, Boston, MA Madison Gallery, Between the Lines, Matt Devine and Jeff Kahm, La Jolla, CA 2013 Cheryl Hazan Contemporary Art, Puz-zle, Group Show, New York, NY Laura Rathe Fine Art, Group shows, Dallas and Houston, TX Onessimo Fine Art, The Innovators Group Show, West Palm Beach, FL Russell Collection, Confluence, Matt Devine and Michael Kessler, Austin, TX Cheryl Hazan Contemporary Art, On the Edge Group Show, New York, NY 2007–2012 Sculpturesite, Nature Abstracted Group Show, Sonoma, CA Cheryl Hazan Contemporary Art, FLUX, Group Show, New York, NY Galerie d’Orsay, Luc Leestemaker and Matt Devine, Boston, MA Madison Gallery, Fresh Blood, Matt Devine, James Verbicky and William Goodman, La Jolla, CA Susan Street Gallery, Encinitas, CA L Street Gallery, Matt Devine and Craig Fuller, San Diego, CA SELECTED COMMISSIONS, COLLECTIONS
a nd
INSTALLATIONS
2016–Pres Private Collection of Kevin Hart, Los Angeles, CA Hard Rock Cafe, Ember diptych, Miami, Florida BBVA Compass Bank, Dallas, TX The Capitol at Chelsea, Monumental wall installation, New York, NY Kaiser Permanente, Chambray, Wall installation, Sacramento, CA Garden Communities, Elements Luxury Community, Irvine, CA University of California San Diego, Jacobs Medical Center, Hello Sunshine, San Diego, CA Wildwood Kitchen & Bar, Fog Suspended Installation, Sacramento, CA
2016
Private Collection of Cyril Chapuy, One Eight One, Paris, France
Laura Rathe Fine Art, Group Show, Dallas, TX
Stanford Neuroscience Health Center, Reversion #2, Palo Alto, CA
Laura Rathe Fine Art, Matt Devine and Greg Miller, Houston, TX
La Jolla Crossroads, Brisas style monumental work, La Jolla, CA
JoAnne Artman Gallery, Matt Devine and Jane Maxwell, Laguna Beach, CA
King of Prussia Mall, Brisas Series and Outlook Series, King of Prussia, PA
Jennifer Kostuik Gallery, Construct, Vancouver, BC, Canada 2015
2013–2015 Private Collection of Fred Couples, Big Top #7, Laguna Beach, CA
Morgan Stanley, Big Top #8, New York, NY Stanford Medical Center, Resolve #2, Palo Alto, CA Umeda, Nobu Restaurants, Sculptural screen installation, Los Angeles, CA The Star Casino, Main Squeeze #2, Sydney, Australia Weebly, Inc., The Fog suspended work installation, San Francisco, CA Marriott Hotels, Sculptural screen installation, Gaithersburg, MD
One More Time, work on loan, Voigt Foundation, Santa Rosa, CA, 2014–2015 Intersect, San Diego, CA, 2012 La Jolla Village, Autumn Fall (Red), La Jolla, CA, 2010 Port of San Diego, Autumn Fall, San Diego, CA, 2009
OMNI Hotel Corporate Collection, 387 5/8” Steel Rods, Nashville, TN
AWA RDS
New World Development, Ltd., Freestanding and wall works, Hong Kong
Washington State Public Artist Roster, Selected Artist, 2021–2025
Ritz-Carlton, The Residences, Crespo wall relief installation, Washington, D.C.
Oregon Art in Public Places Roster, Selected Artist, 2019–2022
Tom Ford Showroom, Thirty Lounger, London, England
Creative Sonoma, Board Member, 2016–2018
Holiday Inn/Bartell Hotels, Intersect monumental work, San Diego, CA
Manpower Executive Awards, Selected Artist, 2015–2018, Milwaukee, WI
Trizetto Corporation, El Cruce, freestanding installation, Englewood, CO
Orchid Award Nominee, Intersect, San Diego Architectural Foundation, 2013
El Mather private collection, La Brea niche works, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
San Diego Art Prize, Established Artist of the Year nominee, 2013
Pyramid Building, Absolution suspended work installation, San Diego, CA Greenfield Village, The Dance monumental work installation, Otay Mesa, CA Raul Gutierrez, Sticks series and Taking Flight cluster wall reliefs, Monterrey, Mexico Valley View Casino, Bushel series wall relief, Valley Center, CA The Job Corps Building, Taking Flight wall relief installation, Solana Beach, CA Humphrey’s Resort, Untitled suspended work installation, San Diego, CA The Pearl Hotel, As One series fountain installation, San Diego, CA Jonathan Segal, FAIA, Union building wall relief installation, San Diego, CA a nd
COMMITTEES
San Diego Art Prize, Emerging Artist of the Year nominee, 2007
2006–2011
MUSEUM
a nd
A UCTION
Waterkeeper’s Alliance, Art for Water Annual Benefit, Sotheby’s, 2016–2017, New York, NY Sonoma County Fire Relief Fund, 2017, Santa Rosa, CA Oceanside Museum of Art, Art Auction Selected Artist, 2013–2018 Art for Water Benefit, Los Angeles, CA, October 2012–2013 Headlands Center for the Arts Benefit, Sausalito, CA, May 2013 Museum of Contemporary Art, Children’s Day, San Diego, CA, January 2007 PUBLICLY VIEWABLE WOR KS Oceanside Museum of Art, Offshore, 2021, Oceanside, CA Gallery Without Walls, La Brecha #6, Arts Council of Lake Oswego, Lake Oswego, OR 2020–2021 Yountville Public Art Walk, 1200 Degrees, Yountville Arts, Yountville, CA, 2019–2021 Casa Mira View, Arriba! Monumental work, San Diego, CA Las Olas, monumental work, Santa Ana, CA, 2016 Connectivity, Art Silicon Valley, San Mateo, CA, 2015 A Walk in the Park, San Diego Botanical Garden, San Diego, CA, 2015–2016
Copyright 2022 by Diehl Gallery. All rights reserved. No part
of this book may be reproduced in any form
or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing by the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. publis h ed by
Diehl Gallery
155 W. Broadway Jackson, Wyoming 83001 P: 307 733 0905
•
E: info@diehlgallery.com
W: diehlgallery.com
PO BOX 4860
•
P: 307 733 0905
1 5 5 W. B R O A D WAY
•
JACKSON, WY 83001
E: info@diehlgaller y.com
W: diehlgaller y.com