MATTHEW CLARKE AND ANDREW CLARKE

MATTHEW'S ARTIST STATEMENT:

Matthew Clarke likes to paint to make people feel happy. Matthew has been drawing ever since he can remember. His life as an artist started in 2005 when he commenced studying Art, Craft and Design at South West TAFE Victoria. Matthew paints with acrylic paint on linen and plywood wallaby sculptures where his unique sense of shape, colour and proportions flows into the works. He makes linocuts with his long term mentor Glenn Morgan supporting him with printing the lino blocks. In the last few years Matthew has taken up drawing on paper with a fine liner pen and using ink and acrylic washes on the works. His largest drawing is 2.4m x 1.2m and his smallest works are postcard size.

The Two of Us, is a joint exhibition between Matthew Clarke and his father Andrew/Gus Clarke. It has been nearly ten years since they last exhibited together.

ANDREW'S ARTIST STATEMENT:

It is a nice opportunity for me to make some work of my own when usually I am supporting Matthew.I am Matthew’s dad, prime carer and his artist assistant. So I am involved in the day to day supporting of Matthew making art. Some of my best days are when I mix the paint for Matthew, clean the brushes, take the photos and 

Matt turns out large beautiful works in front of my eyes. When I think he has some of the shapes and proportions wrong I try to contain myself and Matthew does a little bit of magic and proves me wrong.

I have enjoyed making the works for this exhibition, probably my favourite is titled Ex- Prison Hill, Valparaiso and it is a tribute to a Chilean street artist Fischer Passage.

Matthew has had a busy and successful couple of years painting through covid times and catching up with postponed exhibitions. He has been a finalist in the Drawing Prize at Bendigo Art Gallery, an Archibald Finalist for 2021, been in Geelong Print Prize and recently acquired by Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery as part of their National Works on Paper Prize as well as a successful exhibition at First Draft in Woolloomooloo.