90: How to Become a Badass Sculptor w/ Matt Weir

http://www.artsynow.com/mattweir Last fall I was working around my house when I saw a late-night special on the tube with a sculpture that was blowing my mind with his talent. Luckily, it showed he was in Louisville KY which immediately gave me a spark to reach out and see if I could get him on this show. I’ve always been fascinated with the arts, but sculpting in particular really fascinates me. After a few months, Matt reached back out and we were able to collaborate on this episode. It’s hilarious how small the world is, because just a few minutes into our conversation, I realized that Matt had traveled to Costa Rica with Lindsay’s parents (my gf). How insane is that?? Anyway, Matt’s talents are astonishing and highly praised. I don’t really have to say much about him..just look at his work.. We talk processes, techniques, evolution, pushing away from the religion and parent mold, and keeping focus on creating. Creative Influences Craig Kaviar The Bright Foundry On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins To defeat Godzilla with his talents… “I would make a nice, well-crafted female Godzilla to distract him and I would sneak around him when he goes for the female Godzilla” Advice… Art making is great but artists also make waste not just in great sculpture but also in bad sculpture. All of it is essentially our footprint. I think about materials as an author might about words, sentences,chapters of a bookand characters in a story. The more I diversify, the more languages I speak, the more I can compose a concept to the most diverse audience. Science is a profound thing and a lot of people don’t know about it. If they did, lots of things in the world would change. Self-sustainability is death. If you are not working with a community, you will have no connections to the world around you and so you are dead. It’s a terrible state. Create like a god, command like a king and work like a slave. –Constantin Brâncuși Interview Links Matt’s Website Matt’s Email Earth Measure by Matt Weir BFA Exhibition Show – Reproduction Stress and the Death Drive: Go with the Flow