Matthew Brannon was born on 1971 in St. Maries, Idaho. Matthew Brannon grew up surrounded by the death rock and punk scene of Los Angeles. Opportunities to simply and quickly produce advertising and informative material such as posters, postcards, flyers and fanzines were utilised in manifold ways in this subculture, and were a definitive influence on Brannon's artistic socialisation. He now lives in New York and works in both the high- and low-end production of prints and posters. His tapestries and prints are produced using classic printing processes, the nature of which is often contrary to the dreary images they create.



Brannon's elegance and formalism is contrasted by consistent eerie content. Thus the supposedly easy-to-consume surfaces are overturned by the use of sinister, sometimes surreal-seeming texts, as seen in the series of two-colour silkscreen prints in the exhibition. Stylish graphic depictions of plants hover above the titles "How it all ends", "Hair of the Dog", "Police Officer Giving up" and "Sick Whore".

Following the thematic guidelines of "Penetration" (Brannon's last show at Jan Winkelmann / Berlin) "Hyena" extends his focus on the issue of the frailty and vulnerability of the human psyche. The constant and more or less present fears that sometimes allow a glimpse into the deepest of human abysses. Often these lead to what the artist calls "personal pathologies", i.e. substance abuse, alcoholism, sexual misadventure, careerism and megalomania. Best seen in the two new letterpress pieces, which balance between prose and poetry.

In addition to the already mentioned print series, two new large-format tapestries will be displayed. The oversized, almost iconic eels echo both graphically and conceptually the image of a whip.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2006

?666, USC Roski School of Fine Arts, Los Angeles

?An Ongoing Low-Grade Mystery, Paula Cooper Gallery, New York

?Social Design, Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe

?Matthew Brannon, Wade Guyton, Patrick Hill, United Artists Ltd., Marfa

?Exquisite Corpse, Mitchel Algus Gallery, New York

?Slowburn, Galerie Edward Mitterand, Geneva

2005

?Uncertain States of America, Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo;

?Mus'e d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris; Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY;

?Reykjavik Art Museum, Reykjavik

?Suspended Narration, Lora Reynolds Gallery, Austin

?Passion Beyond Reason, Wallstreet

?One Gallery, Berlin

?Temporary Import, Special Exhibition at Art Forum Berlin

?Threshold, MW Projects, London

?New Tapestries, Sarah Meltzer Gallery, New York

?The Most Splendid Apocalypse, PPOW, New York

?Post No Bills, White Columns, New York

?There Is a City in My Mind, Southfirst, New York

?Wordplay, Julie Saul Gallery, New York

?Good Titles from Bad Books, Kevin Bruk Gallery, Miami

?Greater New York 2005, P.S.1, New York

?Lesser New York, Fia B'ckstr'm Production, New York

?We love Amerika, Jan Winkelmann / Berlin

2004

?If Direction Is a Look, Galleria Javier Lopez, Madrid

?Besides, Popularity Is a Rather Lumpy Concept, No?

Kunsthalle D'sseldorf

?Curious Crystals of Unusual Purity, PS1, New York

?Tapestry from an Asteroid, Golinko Kordansky Gallery, Los Angeles

?Cave Canem, John Connelly Presents, New York

2003

?Talking Pieces, Text and Image in Contemporary Art, Museum

?Morsbroich, Leverkusen (cat.)

?Late to Work Everyday, DuPreau Gallery, Chicago

?Melvins Spring Tour, Anton Kern Gallery, New York

?I'm Afraid of Everything, Blonde Revolution, and New York

?Escape from New York, Summit Art Center, New Jersey

?My people were fair and had cum in their hair (but now they're content to spray stars from your boughs), Team Gallery, New York

?Attack, The Kult 48 Klubhouse, Deitch Projects, New York

2002

?Dark Spring, Ursula Blickle Stiftung, Kraichtal

?Open City 16, Open City Magazine, New York

2001

?Dedalic Convention, MAK, Vienna

?Out of Place, UKS Biennial, Norway

?Wall Labels +, New School University, New York

2000

?Luggage, Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin

?Soft Rock, K'nstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin @ ? PPOW Gallery,New York

1999

?The Wight Biennial, The New Wight Gallery, Los Angeles,

?Made Especially for You, Artist's Space, New York

1998

?1 + 3 = 4 x 1, Galerie f'r

?Zeitgen?ssische Kunst Leipzig

1997

?This Description, Theater Space, New York

?Fuck Yourself, Theater Space, New York

1996

?Paint as Purpose, Galerie Purple, Los Angeles,

1994

?The 1995 Banale, RE:Solution Gallery, Los Angeles

Conclusions:

Matthew Brannon's work investigates media imagery as a cultural interface, exploring the gap between expectation and inadequacy. Using topical problems such as substance abuse, body image, and class divide as metaphors for social and psychological fractioning, Brannon pits visual ?ideals? versus internalised corruption to create conceptual instances of breakdown

What to Do Next...

If you want any information about Matthew Brannon or looking for his paintings please visit us on http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/matthew_brannon.htm