Small Paintings: Matthew F Fisher

His interpretations of sky and sea are carefully constructed with a focus on balance and symmetry. The horizon is broken down into linear bands of contrasting textures. A landscape dissected into something so concise reminds us of the power of the world around us in its simplest form. The linearity of the works evokes the idea of perfection, emanating from the natural world, and the recurring use of seashells reinforces this notion; a ubiquitous yet extraordinary form that signifies the phenomenal creations of the cosmos. Fisher regards the shell as “a marker of growth, life, protection, the outer visible self”, and emphasises this emblem of life by anchoring them in the centre of the works. We can see the artist’s signature use of blue, a colour which, even on its own, has a powerful impact on the spectator through its immediate association with the expansiveness of the sky and the sea.

Fisher’s practice is informed by an array of inspirations. Poetry and music have a particular influence, sometimes becoming the title of a work, such as ‘The Black Sea’, taken from a lyric of a song by the band Tonstartbandth which holds significant value to the artist. Other works, such as ‘Origin Story (A Life Forgetting)’, a tribute to Marsden Hartley's Lobster on Black Background (1940-41), are inspired by existing paintings that Fisher finds himself consistently drawn to. ‘What Was, What is’, exemplifies Fisher’s playful use of scale, in which the large shell takes up most of the canvas, creating the illusion of floating in front of its natural habitat, a compositional technique that the artist learnt from the great Georgia O’Keeffe.

Though small in scale, his works grapple with profound themes surrounding the universe, time and existence. Sometimes less is greater, and in Matthew F Fisher’s case, his elemental interpretation of landscapes leaves space for the spectator to appreciate the quiet powers of the universe.

Matthew F Fisher lives and works in New York City, NY. Recent solo exhibitions at SHRINE, New York City (2023, 2020), OCHI in Los Angeles (2021, 2019) and Taymour Grahne Projects in London (2022, 2019, 2017). Recent group shows with C Squared Gallery, Taichung City, Taiwan (2024), Nino Mier Gallery, New York, NY (2023) and The Hole, New York, NY (2022, 2021). He has been mentioned in the New York Times, ArtPapers, and the catalogue Agnes Pelton: Desert Transcendentalist (2019). Fisher received a Master of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University (2000) and a Bachelor of Fine Art from Columbus College of Art and Design (1994).

MATTHEW F FISHER CV HERE