Matthew Dercole received his MFA in ceramics with minors in metalsmithing and drawing from University of Iowa. Matthew has participated in previous artist residencies at the Lux Center for the Arts and at Lillstreet Art Center. Immediately prior to his residency at Arrowmont, Matthew worked for artist Theaster Gates and Rebuild Foundation in Chicago for two years. Matthew’s emotional and sometimes disturbing sculptures incorporate illustrational and narrative qualities, reflecting the viewers’ own psychological complexities.
Matthew will be showing wall-scaling squirrels, lazy pigs, and ceramic figures at the Artist-in-Residence group exhibition, A Naturally Picked Stacked Attraction of Glitz, March 30 – May 9 in the Sandra J. Blain Gallery at Arrowmont. The opening reception is April 10, from 7-9 PM, and is free and open to the public.
Below, Matthew shares some insight into his work and time in Gatlinburg.
Describe your artwork:
“I develop story lines stemming from the exploration of our relationships with ideas and imagery that are often overlooked, taken for granted, sometimes disturbing, and usually misunderstood. Within these stories, I approach and investigate the dull, banal, and the obvious aspects of everyday life with a new curiosity.
The exploration of the self, the understanding of others, and the dynamics they create are an underlying theme throughout my work. Drawing from a fascination of biology, I create forms based on principles of nature coupled with the experience of thought and feeling. The works become combinations of the natural progression of life, such as growth and decomposition, and the human aspects of reason and ability. I am reacting to the way people think and feel about their identities, how the act of learning and the responsibility of knowledge affects our everyday lives. The way in which we communicate becomes the focal point of the work, as the forms, imagery and materials begin to construct a dialogue.”
Tell us your most memorable moment living at Arrowmont:
“I have a few memorable moments. One is being able to be videographer for a performance by the famed Gatlinburg Players. There is another in my head right now – the day I took a hike in the woods, found a turtle, then got stung 27 times by yellow jackets after trying to get a picture in their nest, followed by hiding in fear from three bears that were on both sides of me. I almost accidentally sprayed myself with pepper spray when I was fighting off the swarm of yellow jackets, which probably would have made for a more compelling story. That day reminded me that things can always be better, and things can always be worse. At one moment, I thought that finding a turtle was a great thing and made me happy, and then half an hour later, I was happy to have not been attacked by bears, and only swarmed by stinging insects. I like when things are put in perspective like that.”
Share what you listen to in the studio:
“I’m over-thinking this because it is actually an important part of being in a good mood to work. I listen to a lot of music, and maybe even a documentary or NPR in the morning on occasion. I like to be surrounded by music when I work. Depending on what I’m making or what part of the process I’m currently on, the type of music changes. It is a large part of my practice to balance the music with the making process. Sometimes I feel like Leonard Cohen, and sometimes I feel like Horse the Band. Nick Cave and Of Montreal are usually a good fit for any occasion. I always liked the idea of how to make a mix tape from High Fidelity. I like to think I approach my studio days like that.”
Learn more about Matthew and his work at matthewdercole.com and follow his adventures and life stories on Instagram at mattdercoleart.
Scroll through images of our studio visit:
arrowmont blog 