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MATTHEW WETTLAUFER
Born 1966 in California USA
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Matthew Wettlaufer has a doctorate of philosophy from Kassel University. With a keen sense of how aesthetics intersect with politics in the post modern world. Matthew seeks an “Objective rationality” in his large political landscapes. His concern is homophobia and political violence. A marxist and critical theorist; he seeks to ‘explode’ the viewer’s world into questioning and doubt; shock it into the awakening recognition that engenders change.
Small, fauve inspired ‘Hinterglasmalerei’ landscape paintings are a light hearted and whimsical extension of this artist’s work.

Matthew did not begin painting until 2005, only several months after having moved to Cape Town to teach philosophy at the University of Stellenbosch. Despite having been born into a family with a father who was a sculptor and a mother who was an art collector, Matthew had not considered pursuing art as a career or vocation. After a year of studying with teachers at the Orange Street Studio, he had his first painting accepted at the Picasso and Africa exhibition at the Alliance Francais in 2006. In November 2006 he had three paintings accepted for exhibition at the South Africa Society of Artists’ 100th anniversary exhibition at Kirstenbosch Gardens. One of these received a special commendation, a reversed glass painting or “Hinterglasmalerei”. He is currently preparing for a large scale exhibition of oil works for the Gerard Cloete Gallery in the latter part of 2007.

Matthew’s work tends towards two directions: large political landscapes of oil on canvas, and smaller reversed glass paintings that focus on still lifes and natural landscapes. His large political landscapes focus on issues surrounding homophobia and political violence, especially derived from experience of growing up in the United States, the style of these works is a cross between the Mexican Muralists (Rivera, Siquieros) and the German painters Grosz and Beckmann. Matthew’s Hinterglasmalerei is informed by the styles of the German expressionists from the Blue Rider school of Murnau: Gabrielle Muenter, Kandinsky, and Marc. They attempt to use color as a way of expressing the mood or life force of the land, and he has recently begun to combine South African landscapes with these expressionist techniques of painting.

MATTHEW WETTLAUFER
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Artist: MATTHEW WETTLAUFER
Title: Untitled I
Size: 18 x 27 cm
Media: reverse painting acrylic and perspex
Price: R 2 500 Framed
On Show I Where to find us I The Gallery I On Exhibition I ArtistsI Payment details
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