Matt Roberts: Open Studio at the Ice Plant

Matt Roberts, Chinati’s current artist in residence, lives and works in Oregon.  He works primarily in sculpture, employing extra-sculptural gestures such as walking and mapping to form the dense web of his understanding of place.  His materials are often found and then manipulated until they are largely unrecognizable.

Roberts’ work hinges on the tension between our recognitions and impressions.  He understands that as we move through a place we collect impressions through our visual experience – the patina of the building, the shape of the sky – which are then recognized, stored and aid in forming our understanding of place.  Roberts’ draws these forms over and over as a way of internalizing them, only later to re-instate them as sculptures.  In his choice of materials and formal considerations, Roberts’ sculpture brings the periphery of our experience into plain view.  Together the sculptures form a loose narrative that reawakens the sense of wonder for what is nearest.

There will be an opening reception for the artist at the Ice Plant on Thursday, February 21 from 6:00 until 8:00 PM. The Marfa community will have the chance to see many aspects of Robert’s work.

Roberts will appear on Marfa Public Radio’s Talk at Ten program on Thursday, February 21 at 10:00 AM. Tune into KRTS at 93.5 FM or online at www.marfapublicradio.org. In addition, Roberts will give a talk about his work at Marfa Book Company on Tuesday, February 26 at 8:00 PM.

Matt Roberts earned his BFA in Studio Art from Oregon State University in 2012.