Games People Play
Artist’s Statement:
We live our lives playing games.
Rock, scissors, paper. Chance, skill, luck. Permutations and combinations.
Too often we deceive ourselves in our unwitting games of self-sabotage, playing both the protagonist pitted against antagonist, all too often not in the service of our best interests.
Our relationships are as if games governed by rules we rarely comprehend.
National elections seem to reflect more a legalistic game of winner and loser. At what cost? Do the ends ever justify the means?
The conditions of peace are often preserved by a readiness to make war when necessitated. Si vis pacem, para bellum.
Game 1
Game 2
Game 3
Materials:
Canvas frame, Hessian, Tapestry floss, Rocks, Scissors, Paper
Size:
3 works, 8 x 8 x 2 in (three dimensional work)
Matt Jones is a conceptual artist living in Sydney. Most recently, he was recognised as winner of this year’s Napier Waller Art Prize held at the Australian War Memorial (AWM) for his oversized tapestry “Yarn” presently on exhibition through to 21 May 2021. Matt will undertake a residency at the AWM Art Collection 30 November - 11 December 2020.
The AWM acquired other work from Matt into their collection following last year’s Napier Waller Art Prize exhibition where he was also shortlisted and recognised as Highly Commended for his work “Imagine A Social Fabric”.
Previously, Matt has been invited to exhibit in numerous exhibitions at the Peacock Gallery located in Auburn/Cumberland where he was announced the winner of the Cumberland Art Award in 2017 and the Sustainability Art Award in 2018 again as part of the Cumberland Art and Photography Awards.
Matt first exhibited in 2015 in the exhibition “Then, now, tomorrow: after the war” curated by Penny Stannard at the Peacock Gallery.
Matt is strongly influenced in his work through his military service as an Australian Army Officer, graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon with operational experience in Timor Leste.
Matt studied Art History at La Trobe University and his development as an artist was significantly impacted by classes exploring pastels at the Fremantle Art Centre while serving in Perth. Matt’s practice is eclectic across medium, embracing ideas expressed through a psychological narrative.
Recent publicity describing his work can be found here: