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The New Contemporary Art Magazine

The Paper Sculptures of Matthew Monahan

Matthew Monahan uses materials like paper to craft decidedly human and vulnerable sculptures. The artist’s entire practice uses a variety of materials. What carries through in each of his works is his penchant for conveying people in unexpected ways.

Matthew Monahan uses materials like paper to craft decidedly human and vulnerable sculptures. The artist’s entire practice uses a variety of materials. What carries through in each of his works is his penchant for conveying people in unexpected ways.

“Known for his mastery of both traditional and industrial materials, Monahan’s new works reflect a physical and mental tug of war with the history of figuration,” Anton Kern Gallery says. “For this show Monahan pushes beyond the individual icon, populating his works with unruly masses and subjecting his figures to an intractable struggle. Rendered primarily in black and white, the viewer is forced to zoom in and out across a pixelated optical field, where sculpture and painting overlap and crossfade.”

See more of Monahan’s work below.

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