“Using fine liner and pens allows me to work on a tiny scale without losing content.” A short word with Matt Read Why drawing as your chosen form of expression? I work in many mediums and techniques but drawing is central to my practice for many reasons. Drawing has always been a constant exercise throughout my life. It’s become almost second nature to me now, to the point where the act becomes a meditative state. Things have to make sense in a drawing whereas it doesn’t necessarily with painting or sculpture. Using fine liner and pens allows me to work on a tiny scale without losing content but it also means there are no accidents allowed so things have to be carefully planned and composed. It’s relatively cheap too and can be done anywhere. What are your inspirations? I have different inspirations for different things, the subject of my work is found usually in response to information I have taken in: documentaries, the news, films or music. In terms of artistic inspiration my main man, as it were, is Comic artist Ralph Steadman. His ability to pile on so much response and “venom” into a drawing always astonishes me and re-affirms my belief in the power of imagery and art. Alberto Giacometti is also a big inspiration of mine with his use of figure and space. 34
For you, what is the purpose of art and what makes a piece of art successful? For me, the purpose of art and creating art is admitting to being human and discovering/ exploring what it means to be human and to reflect on past exploration. It’s a device for learning and teaching in all manner of ways and I believe art is successful when you remember it, for whatever reason. What’s more important beauty or meaning and why? I think both are as important as each other, even if you don’t set out to achieve these things, if it is beautiful you can find meaning within that and the same for if it’s meaningful it can become beautiful. Well, it does for me anyway, after all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, just as the meaning is subjective
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