 Matthew
Gonzales was born in Embudo, New Mexico in 1968 and lived most of his
early life in Arizona and Northern New Mexico.
Upon graduating high
school, he moved to Denver to study at the Colorado Institute of Art. He
illustrated the figure for several years, but his heart was always in fine
art. He explored many mediums and has found his niche in sculpture.
Matthew has now been a
professional artist for almost twenty years. His paintings, drawings, and
sculptures can be found in both galleries and private collections. His
love of the figure is movingly expressed in his work, which harnesses
light and shadow in powerful compositions. With neither a back nor front,
his work is meant to be enjoyed from all angles, as he says, “to expose
the harmonies of form that reveal the body’s perfect design.”
His Nurture is
a wonderful example of the rhythm and order he presents in his creations.
His pieces -- whether serene, dynamic, or unsettling -- manifest his
artistic vision: “to capture that one fleeting moment when a person is
revealed, when one is overwhelmed with the experience of being.”
He is most excited
when his hands are working the clay. “There is something extraordinary
that happens when the hands are working the clay,” he says. Taking
the clay to bronze is complex, but Matthew has found the evolution
fascinating and enjoys every aspect of the process. He experiments with
his own patinas as is exemplified in his male and female torso vases.
Making art is his life
and he involves himself in as many aspects as he can as with public
schools arts programs, and as a member of the Board of the Santa Fe
Contemporary Hispanic Market. |
