The paintings of Matt Brackett lie firmly in an ill-defined field of narrative art. Artists like Amy Bennett, Rob Evans and the photographer Gregory Crewdson come to mind. The imagery seems too prosaic to be labelled symbolist, but too peculiar to be mere representation. There is certainly a level of personal allegory, but what I suspect matters most here is the desire to engage and intrigue the viewer. The painter works alone and so, must use him or her self as the audience, asking the questions, what does this painting mean, what is it about, and more practically, what would make it interesting enough to feel it was worth doing on the first place. Those first questions need not be answered clearly if the last one is. We as viewers after the fact, are witness to the artists own internal narratives, their waking dreams and restructured memories applied in paint. If the artist is successful those narratives will resonate within us as well. Matt Brackett succeeds.
See more at www.mattbrackett.com
"Jupiter" 48"x40" oil on canvas on aluminum panel 2009
Jupiter - detail
"Watersign" 48"x60" 2007
Watersign - detail
"Nightfall" 36"x34" 2007
"Doubting Thomas" 25"x48" 2007
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