Figurative artist Matt Talbert explores his surroundings to construct a mix of realistic and abstract elements in his paintings, and seeks to “hear a melody in the noise.” For his aptly titled show, Occasional Melodies, presented by Abend Gallery, Talbert continues his trend in portraying emotionally charged figures and faces, but for added effect, he’s included locations into his scenes.
Waiting for a Sign, oil on panel, 22 x 28"
“My paintings are often very ethereal and filled with emotion,” the artist explains. “In this series, I wanted to keep that, but also ground the figures in a location and give them more context. So, about half the paintings in this show have an environment around the figure. At first it was a challenge figuring out how to paint the background in a way that didn’t seem too defined. I wanted everything to flow together and keep the boundaries ambiguous.”
Talbert also notes that his art is about searching for the “right moment,” rather than building a narrative. He will set up a specific scene and take thousands of photographs to find the perfect expression. “I will splash paint on the canvas and search for the unexpected marks as a starting point to build my figure,” he says. “I mix the intuitive nature of expressionist painting with the craft of executing realism. It’s about letting your feelings drive you from zero to 60 and then telling the brain to take over once you’ve reached top speed heading to your destination. With a combination of intuition and craft, ‘occasional melodies,’ will come to the surface.”
California Winter, oil on panel, 36 x 33"
In pieces like California Winter, depicting a woman leaning against a sun-drenched wall, basking in the warmth, we get a sense of Talbert’s ability to convey mood, along with his talent for mark-making and the impasto technique. “[This] was one of those pieces that felt special from the very beginning,” Talbert shares. “The model, Elle, is an actress in Los Angeles and she hit the pose just perfect. Often actresses are the best models because they can be so expressive in their face. The painting had an energy to it right away. I love the simple shapes of light and dark. It gave me a lot of opportunity to play with textures and space in an almost abstract way. During the making of this painting, I came up with the show title—melodies coming to the surface and then fading away.”
Room to Breathe, oil on panel, 18 x 26"
In Room to Breathe, we see a woman in an indoor setting, seemingly engaged with someone out of view, or maybe just staring off into space—enjoying a bit of solitude. “[This painting] was from a photo I took last summer in New York City,” says Talbert. “Something about the energy in that city always gives me inspiration. I wanted to capture the feeling of being in a beautiful space that felt like a sanctuary from the outside world.” Talbert employs his signature mark-making and abstracted sections that then blend into reality.
Holding onto a Dream, oil on linen, 30 x 40"
“Emotional connection is the ultimate goal,” says Talbert, describing his hope for viewers of the new work. “Of course not everyone connects with every painting, but even if there are just a few pieces that really speak to the viewer, then I feel like it’s a success… It’s about the flow back and forth between expressive textures and rendered figures and finding the occasional melodies that happen in between.”
Talbert will display around 12 new paintings at Abend Gallery, located in Denver, Colorado, and will kick off the show with an opening reception on October 21 from 4 to 6 p.m. The show will hang through November 4. —
Abend Gallery, 1261 Delaware Street, Suite 2 • Denver, CO 80204 • (303) 355-0950 • www.abendgallery.com
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