Matthew Betancourt
«Lido-hjørnet»
Det er en stor glede for oss å kunne presentere neste utstilling i Galleri Mo.z.art. Kunstneren heter Matthew Betancourt, og hans utstilling bærer navnet “Lido-hjørnet”.
Kunstneren kommer opprinnelig fra California, men har nå holdt til i Bergen i flere år. Han arbeider ut i fra sitt atelier på Bryggen.
På tross av kunstnerens opphav langt fra Bergen by, er denne utstillingen så absolutt lokal. Matthew har latt seg fascinere av motiver fra Bergen.
Med Lido-hjørnet som utgangspunkt formidler han spennede motiver fra byen.
Stilen er røff, ekspressiv, modig og så absolutt hans egen. Dette er virkelig malerier som taler til beskueren på flere plan.
Vi synes det er kjempespennende at vi får lov til å formidle denne kunsten til et publikum.
Kunstneren har selv dette å si om sin bakgrunn og kunst:
I do not use logic to navigate, I feel my way through life. Regardless of where I end up in the world, I somehow find myself deeply and emotionally connected to my surroundings. This connection usually isn’t to the typically beautiful places. Being on top of prekestolen is stunning, don’t get me wrong, but it’s the quiet, often overlooked, and raw places that draw me in. I’ve learned to quiet myself and listen to what a location is saying to me. When I hear it, I respond to it by making art. This is why living in rainy Bergen doesn’t bother me. The rain has a lot to say, you know.
I was born and raised in sunny California, and I moved to Bergen in 2017. The city immediately found its way into my veins. Now, I simply cannot stop creating art.
I began looking at the city and listening, and the more I did so, I realised that there was one place downtown that seemed to draw me in the most. It was as if I had found the face of Bergen. It was Lidohjørnet. Its placement, surroundings, color, shape, details and most of all, the way the light falls on it throughout the day. It all just fits. And when it sees the sun coming up from behind Ulriken, it sings.
I tend to keep my techniques a secret, they are my magic, after all. However, I’m not ashamed to tell you where I find my influence. The touch of Rembrandt, the boldness of Van Gogh, the light of the impressionists, the sincerity of Ann Gale, the conviction of Semenskiy, and much, much more, of course. I will say that I have taken a little piece from each of my influences, played with it for a long time until I invented something that is unique to just me. This comes from being in tune with my materials, almost as if they were part of me. My love for them is similar to my love for food. It’s emotional. I think this is why I often name my paintings after food.