On September 8th, Matt Eaton will return to 323East for his second solo exhibition - an eagerly awaited show with the delightfully ironic title “Useless Advice from a Stranger”.

We use the word ironic in this instance because this talented man is hardly a stranger to the Detroit art scene and his focused advice has been anything but useless. Over the past year, Eaton has been the chief curator and driving force behind Red Bull's House of Art - a task which finds him mentoring dozens of local artists and drawing national attention to our city's creative energy. Indeed, if getting dubbed "the curator of curators" from his peers is any indication, Eaton has already earned an estimable niche in our community. In addition to that accomplishment, he has also succeeded in enlisting over 30 international artists to paint more than 60 murals throughout Detroit and Hamtramck neighborhoods.

 

Befitting the originality of his talent, Matt Eaton is not the easiest artist to bracket or place within a particular genre. He is a master of abstract visuals, using the often overlooked elements of everyday existence to fashion works of subtle charm and undeniable beauty. However, an Eaton painting is anything but passive. His canvases have a muted boldness with lines and colors that seem to coil their strength until they become visible to the eyes of a patient viewer. Think of a charge of dynamite or gunpowder carefully primed for a fuse; the explosion comes when you catch the hitherto undetected fire beneath the cool surface. Eaton is always suggesting that we look and look closely at everything. That's pretty valuable advice.

 

The show is free and open to the public. 
323East Gallery
323 E. 4th St 
Royal Oak, MI 48067
248-246-9544 /  http://323east.com
 

Artists reception September 8th 2012 - 6-11pm

On Display from September 8th - October 10th

 

About Matt Eaton: 

Having spent his formative years living in cities such as Los Angeles, London, New York and Detroit, Eaton became compelled to investigate his surroundings.

 

While trying to find some familiarity and comfort in these new places, he became fascinated with local signage, lettering, graffiti and advertising. This quickly led to a deep admiration for graffiti, lettering and typography. The layers of old ads plastered on the walls of buildings and subway tunnels communicated more directly with him and became a point of inspiration. The decay of once new and seemingly important information and how quickly it is forgotten and plastered over have become a major theme in his work.

 

This imagery became a traveling companion of sorts, never having to be left behind and waiting to be enjoyed in every new place he found himself in with bright friendly colors and interesting new themes. The process of mixing these mental images with memories of sayings and quotations that he associates with certain areas and people allows him to use his training in calligraphy and graphic design to produce unique snapshots of his life experience. Having long ago stepped away from the active world of graffiti, Eaton still employs techniques and materials native to graffiti culture. Using only spray paint on wood allows him to explore a more personally realistic and comfortable process.

 

Without any formal training in painting or art he has discovered his own style and technique through trial and error; as well as an extensive body of work that includes painting, commercial graphic design and illustration. Eaton has spent most of his life trying new things whenever he had a chance. He has done everything from glass blowing to silk screening and photography, to cabinet making and typography, taking courses at colleges and studying under friends and peers he is always exploring new areas for techniques or materials to further his self-expression. His paintings have been exhibited in galleries and group shows around the world. As a designer he has created book covers for HarperCollins and sculptural/graphic design material for some of New York’s leading creative agencies. For this show Eaton will display over 30 new paintings that were all created while staying in Detroit over the last year, as well as a number of photographs of subject matter he finds interesting.

Click here to read a Q&A with Matt on what he's been up to over the last year http://bit.ly/MattEaton_QandA

 

 

For more information on the exhibition or request a preview of “Useless Advice from a Stranger”
please visit 323east.com or contact
Jesse Cory
Jesse@323east.com
248-246-9544

 

323East is a collection of creative energy materialized in a mashup of art, culture, lifestyle and creativity. Located 20 minutes north of downtown Detroit in Royal Oak, MI; 323East is home to over 400 artists with rotating works in a variety of mediums. Recent exhibitions include local and international artists Glenn Barr, John Dunivant, Ron Zakrin, Audrey Pongracz, Tom Thewes, Matt Eaton, Jeff Soto, William Wray, April Segedi, Gary Taxali, Yumiko Kayukawa, Megan Frau, Charmaine Olivia, Netherland, Mark Heggie, Bethany Shorb, Kathie Olivas and many more.