Calaj Contemporary Art

Coming Together

Coming together through a recognition of a strong similarity in our painting techniques, we shared a love of process and the physically energetic Abstract Expressionist style. This process, a high energy, impulsive expression of the unconscious involved freely extracting and adding until we felt the painting “worked”.  

 As kindred spirits, we wanted to paint together. 

 An idea of collaboration came to Matt when he first arrived in Chicago from the backwoods of New Hampshire.  Seeing a particular graffiti strewn wall on an old brick building, he noted how each mark made in earnest, angst and disregard, juxtaposed to the faded commercial signage, created an unrestricted explosion of energy.  There were many forms from many sources but placed on this wall, they came together as a mysterious communion of wholeness, harmony and radiance.