Matt Arbuckle
Reading Hands

In his new body of work, Matt Arbuckle has deconstructed painting, roughed it up then put it back together again, stretched over supports, framed in aluminium and hung it on the wall. Pursuing his own fascination with drapery, Arbuckle has transitioned from the more traditional painting process of oil on linen to painting on voile, a semi-sheer lightweight polyester fabric. The nature of the material is such that pigment easily permeates the weave and gives a translucent impression. Arbuckle’s practice is a process-driven exploration of place, representing landscapes that are conceptualised through their very making. Through an experimental practice that favours process over outcome, Arbuckle uses elements of traditional Japanese shibori dying techniques to create abstract compositions by wrapping, twisting, folding and draping the fabric over found surfaces and structures. The resulting paintings use depth and movement to trace and reveal abstract memories, imprinting the experience of place into the artwork.