Black River Falls
2001 - 2006
Before his 'code paintings,' Matt worked in traditional materials. See his large, lifesize oil paintings from the early aughts.
I painted these life-sized oil paintings from photos my family inherited. Growing up in a house cluttered with my mother’s genealogy research and old photographs spilling from every corner, I had a primal fear of anything Victorian. When I was 20, I had a dream in which an ancestor that died in childhood urged me to color her photograph. I’ve been coloring ever since.
“Oil Painting - Process Photos”
I start by coloring over top a black and white copy of the original photo.
“Funeral of Peter Pan”
oil painting by Matt Kane - “Funeral of Peter Pan”
“The girl who dreamt my fate to be our saint”
oil painting by Matt Kane - “The girl who dreamt my fate to be our saint”
“The swaying back of her bright tambourine”
oil painting by Matt Kane - “The swaying back of her bright tambourine”
“Sunset oceans above her maple tree”
oil painting by Matt Kane - “Sunset oceans above her maple tree”
“Gumballs under tongues”
oil painting by Matt Kane - “Gumballs under tongues”
“The virtues of disbelief”
oil painting by Matt Kane - “The virtues of disbelief”
“We wait in song and lie”
The finished piece, "We Wait in Song and Lie."
At the same time that I was creating large oil paintings, I'd begun experimenting with layered resin.
“Study for Leona”
resin painting by Matt Kane - “Study for Leona”
“Eleven Mercury Stars over Lyman.”
resin painting by Matt Kane - “Eleven Mercury Stars over Lyman.”
“Stolen Children”
resin box by Matt Kane - “Stolen Children”
“After the Theft”
resin box by Matt Kane - “After the Theft”
“Virtues of Disbelief”
resin box by Matt Kane - “Virtues of Disbelief”
“Leona giggled in the face of futures to come”
resin box by Matt Kane - “Leona giggled in the face of futures to come”
