Works by Tyler Matheson. Curated by Paula Mclean
Opening Reception: January 10th 6-8pm @ 56 Regina, Waterloo
Exhibition runs from January 7th- 27th 2020
An individual does not need to be a believer in a religion to embrace the idea that there is an animating principle to the self – a life force (some of us call it a soul) that when nurtured enhances our capacity to be more fully self-actualized and able to engage in communion with the world around us.
bell hooks, All About Love, 2001
For many, self-actualization can be a lengthy and life-long process. Formative childhood years mark a period of adjustment as one learns about themselves in relation to others. Identities are malleable and shifting, morphing into whatever a particular situation or circumstance requires. Such is the basis for the show, “An Immense Sea”.
Working in a variety of media including painting, photography, and sculpture, Tyler Matheson’s work explores ideas of performativity, queerness, and otherness through the investigation of materiality and the careful arrangement of both objects and paintings. The show “An Immense Sea” features a small collection of recent works which, although varied in media, addresses the ambiguity and performativity of identity.
Specifically alluding to experiences of becoming and adaptating to surroundings, Matheson employs “coded” and reflective materials whose appearance shifts depending on the viewer’s position in relation to the work. A small grouping of textured paintings (created by spray painting tiling grout adhered to panel) remain perceptually unfixed as light and viewers’ movements subtly transform both colour and form.
In addition to the quasi two-dimensional painted works is a sculptural piece installed on the adjacent walls. Two large-scale puzzle pieces, one mirrored and one depicting a utopic image of sky and clouds, hang perpendicular to each other. The mirrored puzzle piece reflects the image depicted in the second piece while a light source directed at the mirror casts an elongated reflection on the wall. Again, referencing notions of orienting oneself, both sexually and spatially, viewers must position themselves at an angle that allows for a clear view of the reflected clouds. The idealized, utopian image, like visions for a future queer utopia, is simply a mirrored illusion, however, by gazing at both ourselves and the skyscape, perhaps the path to cohesion and harmony with ourselves and others begins with us.
-Paula Mclean
