fact and imagination

Thought behind the Thought

Isn't reality always a combination of fact and imagination? And we choose what we want to see and believe? In fact, don't we all define reality as we see it? Some see more of facts, some prefer to colour it with their imagination, a sort of enhanced reality, in a way! Some don't see facts at all, and build up their own reality from their imagination.
So, it is always layered, this world that we see! The only difficulty is in knowing for sure what is fact, and what is imagination! Once you can confidently tell which is which, you can get the true picture.

About the Art

The art of Matthew Cox, brings these two layers together in the most innovative way! Who would believe that X-Rays, those very true pictures of people that clearly show them inside out, could be embroidered with the artist's imagination to produce such amazing works of art?

Matthew Cox is a Philadelphia- based artist who embraces and joins a variety of media to produce several thematic series of work. Medical x-rays and embroidery, couture and crime, rubber stamps, short -story prose and paint all layer toward a darkly comic and anachronistic impression of the human condition in the twenty-first century.

This is what he says about his work:

"Redefinition motivates me to create my embroidered x-rays. The stark clash of two such divergent materials, cloth and plastic, is the simple catalyst. One tactile and labor intensive, the other technical, and quickly a finished product. There’s a wide historical context, one ancient, decorative, and artisanal, the other contemporary and devoid of aesthetic intention. By simply placing one of these materials on top of the other the understood purpose of each is redefined.

For me, stitching has a nurturing aspect and acts as care giving or healing to the injured, a socially feminine sort of action, while the x-ray itself can be considered masculine and unemotional. Finally, my own recognition of what is beautiful [these separately became appealing to me at about the same time]. As an artist who takes on tedious, labor-intensive projects, I am also reacting to the ever-increasing presence of photography in contemporary art – by introducing the process of labor over the quick, slickness of film."

Credits and Source of Information:

http://matthewcoxartist.com/