BIOGRAPHY/ARTIST STATEMENT:
Matthew Olyphant was born in Oakland CA. in 1972 and raised in Modesto CA. Matthew
studied fine art throughout high school and then moved to Berkeley CA. in 1990 where
Matthew attended the University of California at Berkeley.
While attending University Matthew studied color and composition and fine art/painting
under the instruction of Kim Anno and Loretta Dunkleman. During those intermediary
years Matthew showed his work extensively in many public art spaces.
After University Matthew continued to create art and show his work throughout
Northern and Southern California in various arenas. Matthew's paintings are very
visually engaging and have received a tremendous amount of attention in the creative
business and entertainment world. His paintings have been purchased by the likes of
Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, and Tre Cool of Green Day. Movie and music video
producer Brett Ratner. Music and artist manager Pat Magnarella. Casting Director
Joseph Middleton… just to name a few. His paintings were also showcased on the MTV
reality show cribs in episode 607 featuring Stephan Jenkins / Baby / TJ Lavin.
Matthew’s paintings explore the tensions that often exist between humans and their
surrounding environment. Jagged, spiky lines covering dramatic conflicting colors,
misspelled words and phrases shared space with vague scratchy characters and city
scapes that come alive. Composition, based largely on shape and movement, plays a
role in creating that sense of tension and harmony. However, Matthew also skillfully
employs color to support his aims. Color and texture function to reveal mood and gain a
reaction by the viewer. Relationships among colors suggest harmonies or discord among
people and their environment.
Matthew draws on environment, memories, thoughts, and emotions to create his visual
pictures. The paintings are highly personal, but the artist strives to create images that
are also archetypal so as to allow for more universal, metaphoric associations. He is also
interested in exploring patterns of learning and communicating through visual art. By
merging visual cues with these ideals, he composes paintings that are layered with
content.
Matthew’s style is influenced by Picasso, Basquait, Johns, and Braque, a "primitivist"
style. At first glance it would appear that he was merely a primitive, but in reality he is
appropriating the style of other primitivist artists, making him something of a paradox.
What identifies Matthew Olyphant, as an artist is courage and full powers of selftransformation.
That courage, meaning not being afraid to fail, transforms paralyzingly
self-conscious 'predicaments of culture' into confident 'ecstasies of cultures recombined
in diverse engaging environments'.