Matt Garber

www.mattgarberart.com Rarely in the fine art world does an artists’ inspiration include the 99 cents store, but in the case of Virginia native Matthew Garber that is exactly the case. "I like to take every day, utilitarian objects like a 2x4 or zip tie and turn them into something beautiful" Taking his cues from forms he finds existing within the materials around him Matthew creates work that feels effortless and organic in spite of the meticulous techniques which give his pieces life. Experimenting with unique processes such as artfully and painstakingly burning wood, Matthew turns the ordinary into the extraordinary, unearthing unexpected beauty from plastic cable ties and simple chunks of wood. However, not to be led by process alone Matthew demonstrates a wry humor in pieces such as his deliberately cumbersome metal framework titled, ‘Overprotective iPod case’. With its awkward accessibility, combined with the absurd concept of actually carrying it around, Matthew manages to surprise us still further with the fact that in the event you should actually try to take the iPod out of the case, you get an electric shock! “My main inspiration for my pieces is the material itself.” If the below video does not work, please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8pacunvBhc