Matthew Hance

Currently, I am a MFA graduate student at Pratt. The focus in my work deal with topics such as the aesthetic nature of self expression, cultural ideology, theosophy, and memory using the practice of art as a platform. I recently created a body of work that explored the concept of memory. I interviewed several participants, recorded a specific memory of theirs, and then created a painting that was based off of their memory. I had an exhibit that featured each piece with their memory recorded on an old cassette player, and gave the audience the opportunity to listen to the recording while viewing the piece. The main goal of this project, using the concept of memory,was to explore the different possibilities there are in how "we" engage with art today. The transformation of creating something from nothing is always a challenge. Pictorial vocabulary and instinctive energy are powerful components behind my work. I believe a single stroke of a loaded brush could open up the implications of a half-made image or obliterate it. In that moment, exists' a wonderful dichotomy between confidence and vulnerability. There is nothing more challenging then confronting this stage and in my opinion it is the "make or break moment" of being a true art...

Pratt Institute, MFA 2015
Maryland Institute College of Art, BFA 2000