About the Exhibit - Giving up the Ghost
Matthew Hansel’s exhibit, Giving Up the Ghost, was on view at The Hole May 30th – July 5th, 2019.
“In Giving Up the Ghost Hansel exhibits three types of work that are from the same meditation on art history and the role of the painter in modern life; shaped canvas still lifes, ocean paintings, and half-painted canvasses.” (source)
The three types of work in this exhibit are the following:
- Dutch still-life paintings
- Stormy seas of late Romantic painting
- Disappearing Delacroix
Each type of work takes classic works from art history such as Dutch still life paintings and recreated them in a new way, slightly distorted.
Dutch Still-Life Paintings
In Hansel's Dutch Still-Life inspired works, he takes famous paintings from Flemish masters, and renders them in a distorted, wavy form.
Disappearing Delacroix
In Hansel's 'disappearing Delacroix' works, he takes inspiration from Eugene Delacroix, who's work often included "lions and horses and men jostle together."
“A historical painting has an effect at the time it was made and then a ghost-like reach into the future to have another life existing in other contexts and being seen completely differently.” (source)
This distortion speaks to many things, such as a student trying to copy their master (but not successfully so) as well as our general memory of art history.
“My paintings literally and figuratively deconstruct the practice of painting. Layering images from 17th century vanitas painting with warped cartoons and trompe l’oeil figurines, my work plays with visual absurdity and challenges prominent hierarchies.” - Matthew Hansel (source)
Stormy seas of late Romantic paintings
In Hansel's 'stormy seas of the late Romantic paintings' works, he references the turbulent waters often depicted in the Romanticism era.
“The use of trompe l’oeil devices in my work suggests an unspoken truth about artists. Namely, that we are liars. We depict things (forms, space, light, etc.) that don’t exist. We ask the viewer to believe or at least to bear witness. I often include small porcelain figures sitting on the bottom edge of the canvas facing the painting. They are stand-ins for the viewer, always watching, always present, a witness to my deception.” - Matthew Hansel (source)
About the Artist - Matthew Hansel
Matt Hansel lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.
He earned a BFA from The Cooper Union School of Art and an MFA from the Yale University School of Art.
