harmon art lab (HAL) is a creative collaboration that ties

art curator, artist and viewer into an interactive dialogue of

ideas and engagement.

 

Q&A with Matt Hollis

HAL: Most of your work expresses a deep sense of mother nature and beauty, while most of your materials have a clear artificial look to them. Does living and working in the middle of Washington, DC, influence this dicotomy?

MH: I am attracted to dichotomies in general, one cannot have one extreme without a bit of the opposite to create some tension. It is kind of funny that in order for me to accurately capture the essence of nature, i have come to rely on artificial materials. Also when nature makes its way into the city it seems more powerful to me, roots cracking concrete apart and vines choking old buildings . . .


HAL: When people look at your work what sense/ feeling/ idea would you wish them to walk away with?

MH: I want to grab their attention with the bright colors, lure them closer with pleasing shapes, textures and then hope they feel more curious and begin to see that these "natural" forms seem to be up to something, they have an agenda all their own.


HAL: Why have you chosen these plastic/artificial materials, in particular? Have you considered working with organic material?

MH: I have chosen these materials because they are the closest I can get to natures subtle color changes and unique shapes. I appreciate the fleeting charms of nature but I want to freeze it in full bloom, capture flowers at their most powerful to increase their impact. Also, I have begun the study the art of ikebana (flower arranging) to play with the real thing, but it is more about the design elements and combining flowers with sculpture.


HAL: A lot of your sculptural forms have an almost alien-like or other-wordly quality to them. Is this a reflection of their artificiality or something else you’re trying to do?

MH: I have long suspected flowers/plants to have some sort of alien ancestry and I like to imagine that they broadcast signals into space with their pistil antennae and they might actually be using humanity as a way of leaving the planet once more. My forms explore how nature might evolve further in the future to achieve its goals. Also sometimes nature can be so strange and fantastic that it almost seems otherworldly.


HAL: Is there any environmental statement you’re trying to make with your material choices?

MH: More that nature is bigger than us, we need to realize our place below it and be properly humbled by it. This is why i like to exaggerate the size of things, make the viewer look up at something and feel the power of it all.

 

HAL: There is a definite sense of play and humor in your work. Is that an intentional decision on your part?

MH: Oh, yes. I think art needs to loosen up and laugh at itself sometimes. But also I do like to tap into the childlike innocence and wonder of the world. One of my biggest influences growing up was the amazing work of Jim Henson with the Muppets and Sesame Strreet.


HAL: How do you want people to interact with pollinator specifically?

MH: I want them to run screaming from the gallery! No, really I hope they can feel like they are entering a sacred space where nature is going about its business and that they are only spectators to nature's own selfish agenda.


HAL: On your blog, you feature a lot of photography of nature, landscapes, urban environments. How does this relate to your work with the artificial landscape of pollinator?

MH: I think my installation/ sculptural work attempts to collect all of the extraordinary elements I single out with my camera from nature and condense them into this hyper-real idealized world where everything is bigger and brighter. It's about making the everyday otherworldly.

 

HAL: You also do a lot of two-dimenstional work that involves layering of leaves, petals, plants, in an almost abstract way. Tell us about those works and what you’re trying to accomplish with them.

MH: I like to play with the idea of nature-worship or fetishizing of nature to celebrate it's power over us. These works are icons or totems to nature. The layering and process of these works that is evident shows the dedication of their creator to their meaning.


HAL: What do you think plant life has to teach us as humans?

MH: The power to adapt and thrive even under the harshest conditions . . . despite everything we have done to set nature back, it continues to trudge on almost as if we weren't here at all, and it will continue long after we are gone. I believe that we might have to rely on plants even more in the future. Basically, get on board, or get out of the way!

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