Snow (January 2010)
Sand (May 2008)
Author Archives: matt ballou
Peter Voulkos on Technique
Seen written on a slate blackboard. In a barn outside of Glen Arbor, MI. In 2008. Click for larger view.
More on Voulkos here.
These Precious Things
We’ve gotten a lot of awesome practical gifts from friends and family in anticipation of Miranda joining us this coming May. Everything has been wonderful and much appreciated; it’s always humbling when friends find a way to be particularly thoughtful in joining with me in some joy.
But two of the gifts we’ve received recently have felt strikingly beautiful to me. I want to share them below…
An artwork by Jen.
This piece, a printwork created from many layers of oil monotypes, is related to a group of works that Jen Meanley showed at Manifest in Cincinnati, OH over the past month. Jen sent it out of the blue when she heard Alison and I were pregnant. I love it and feel honored to have it.
I know Jen from grad school. She was such a strong presence at IU; her paintings and intelligence both intimidated and awed me during my time there. I’m glad we have continued to communicate over the years and I love that her’s will be among the first art Miranda will see.
A rattle from Connie.
Connie Gillock is a longtime friend of ours. I first met her at Ox-Bow in the summer of 2001. Connie has shown herself to be a master gift-giver; it’s a skill she’s fostered in her daughters. I can sense the great joy they get from giving, and appreciate how they keep it simple and genuine. This beautiful silver rattle is amazingly elegant… I can’t wait to see it in Miranda’s hands.
Thanks, Jen. Thanks, Connie.
Roberta Smith on Art and Time
A great contemplation by the NYTs Roberta Smith from December 31st, 2009.
“Each piece of [art] is a concentration or distillation of ideas, inspiration, sensibility and craftsmanship into a frozen, obdurately physical moment that focuses our attention and then unfolds in the mind. Sometimes what unfolds is a chronological narrative conveyed by a single representative image or a series of them; sometimes it is an intense experience that seems to takes you out of time, yet persists and reverberates in the echo chamber of personal memory. Usually it is a combination of both.”
I couldn’t agree more. Read the rest here.
A Message For the New Year
…a screen shot (featuring Peter O’Toole in a low point of his career) from Thomas Kinkade’s “Christmas Cottage.” This is, perhaps, one of the worst yet most hilarious movies ever. And here’s a chaser made by artist Sloane Snure Paullus.
Enjoy 2010!
More Collographs
Click on each for a more detailed view.
Heaven?
I’ve been obsessed with the sign shown above for months. As you can see from the image below, it’s located in an unused, locked lobby at a Landmark Bank location. Why would there be a neon HEAVEN sign at a bank? What does it mean? Is it art? Is it irony? Anyone out there have thoughts? Click on the pics for a clearer view…
Collograph Prints
I’m beginning a series of collographic prints based on the angles of the pentagonal sides of dodecahedrons. Here are images from the first few.
All are in a range from 6 to 12 inches in diameter. I’m conceiving of them as tondos or ovoids, but haven’t decided on the orientations or how I’ll use light with them, since it’s so important to how they’re seen.
None of these prints have pigment of any kind on them.
Click on each image for a larger view.
Get Culverized
Me and MU BFA graduate Jake Crook at the MU Senior Exhibition on December 17, 2009. We had a donation of beverage cups from Culver’s… brought a new meaning to the phrase “get culverized!”
(Photo by Amber Wahidi)
Winter 2009 MU Honors Convocation
Me with one of my favorite art students, Shannon.
(Above: photo by Rob Bratney)
She earned honors for her work in Psychology at MU. She minored in Art, which is obviously where I worked with her.
Honor students often name a faculty person who walks with them in the procession to the ceremony where they receive their honors regalia. I was humbled when Shannon asked me to attend the festivities with her.
She is a dedicated, thoughtful, conscientious person. I’m looking forward to seeing the trajectory of her continued success as she looks toward Graduate School and combines her love for people with her love for art. Good job, Shannon!
eikonktizo 
