Jeff Matsuno

"Abitato" *

inches 32 x 24 x 2

"Fondamenta dei Ormesini" *

inches 26 x 36 x 5

"Fantasmi nella Nuvola"

inches 24 x 40 x 2

WELCOME ...

On this website you will find :

Resume

Artist's Statement

Contact: jeff.matsuno@verizon.net

RESUME

Education

1985 Bachelor of Art Degree Art/Art History (with honors)

CSU Long Beach, CA

Special Studies

1985 Guggenheim Studentship, Peggy Guggenheim Collection Venice, Italy

1984 Curatorial Internship, MOCA, Los Angeles, CA

1983 Museum Studies Program, Univ. Art Museum, CSU Long Beach, CA

1981-1982 CSU International Programs, Florence, Italy

Work Experience

2002-present Artist and Art Teacher, Redondo Beach, CA

1997-2001 Artist, Venice, Italy

1998 Monastery of Romite Ambrosiane, Sculptures and Restoration, Italy

1995 M. Sheppard Design, Wood Working, Culver City, CA

1996 Tom Farrage Architect, Wood Working, Culver City, CA

1993-1994 Missionaries of Charity, Design and Construction, LA, CA

1990-1993 Diocesi of Makeni, Design and Constr., Sierra Leone, Africa

1989 James Turrell Artist, Construction, Flagstaff, AZ

1988 Panza Collection, Archive Organization, Milan, Italy

1987 Dennis Choate Sailboats, Construction, Long Beach, CA

1983 Malinda Wyatt Gallery, Gallery Preparation, Venice, CA

Personal Exhibitions

2011 Walls, Davis and Cline Gallery, Ashland, OR

2010 Downtown LA, Lora Schlesinger Gallery, Bergamot, Santa Monica, CA

2008 New Works, Invitation Solo Exhibition, JG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

2005 Venetian Visions, Inv. Solo Exhib., JG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

2003 Walls of Venice, JG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

2003 Walls, Palos Verdes Art Center, CA, curated by Scott Canty

1999-2001 Walls of Venice, Il Prato Gallery, Venice, Italy

1998 Walls of Venice, San Pantalon Gallery, Venice, Italy

1997 Walls of Venice, Scoletta dei Calegheri, Venice, Italy

1996 Venetian Facades, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA

1988 Ad Interiora Deserti, San Fedele, Milan, Italy

1987 Ad Interiora Deserti, Franklin Furnace, New York, NY

1987 Cappella I II III, LA Municipal Art Gallery, CA

1986 Lectio Divina, LA Insitute of Contemporary Art, CA

Group Exhibitions

2012 Small Works, Lora Schlesinger Gallery, Bergamot St, Santa Monica, CA

2011 SBF, Torrance Art Museum, CA

2011 Liminal Examinations, P Zask Gallery, Palos Verdes, CA

2011 Unity, Peggy Zask Gallery, Palos Verdes, CA

2010 SBF, Torrance Art Museum, CA

2009 Art of the Surf, Peggy Zask Gallery, Palos Verdes, CA

2008 Group Show, Inv. Group Exhib., JG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

2008 Art of the Surf, Peggy Zask Gallery, Palos Verdes, CA

2007 Group Show, Inv. Group Exhib., JG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

2007 Martini & Art, Oceans Studio, Redondo Beach, CA

2006 Group Show, Inv. Group Exhib., JG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

2006 Group Show, Gallery C, Hermosa Beach, CA

2005 Group Show, Inv. Group Exhib., JG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

2004 Group Show, Inv. Group Exhib., JG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

2003 LA Black & White, Inv. Group Exhib., JG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

Selected Collections

Giuseppe Panza, Panza Collection, Switzerland / Italy

Gabriella Cardazzo, Venice, Italy

Luigino Rossi, Venice, Italy / New York, NY

Renata Scomparin, Padova, Italy

Catherine Feric, St. Bart

Kimberly and Richard Sisisky, Jacksonville, FL

Tom and Mary Malone, Palos Verdes Estates, CA

Sandi and Bob Cooper, Bel Air, CA

Judd Hammack, Santa Monica, CA

Commissions

Costa Atlantica, Costa Cruises, Italy

Kaneko Design, Venice, CA

Ron and Robbie Schaffer, Northridge, CA

Archives

Getty Museum, Inventory of Giuseppe Panza Papers, 1956-1990

Publications

American Contemporary Art, April / May 2010

The Beach Reporter, Matsuno at PV Art Center by M. Hixon, 2003

ARTifacts, Walls of Venice, 2003

PV Peninsula News, Italian Reinassance by M. Hixon, 2003

The Aesthetic, Walls of Venice by G. frost, 2003

Artist Talk

A Universal Language, P Zask Gallery, Palos Verdes, May 2011

Represented by

Lora Schlesinger Gallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA

Davis and Cline Gallery, Ashland, OR

Artist's Statement

Genesis- "The wall is more beautiful..."

These works began while visiting the "Biennale" ( the biannual international art exhibit in Venice, Italy) with an architect friend. At one of the exhibits, located in a old, deconsecrated church, my friend commented, "I think the wall it's on is more beautiful than the artwork."

He was right. The wall held fantastic patterns of mold and mildew which seemed to emanate from behind the sculpture. I spent the rest of the day wandering Venice, searching for the abstract patterns of decay adorning the building of the ancient city. How could I capture that beauty artistically?

I began to experiment. I didn't want to do photography or traditional painting because they were both flat and even glossy, attributes antithetical to the textures I saw in the walls.

After a year or so of experimenting I moved back to Venice...

The Stroll and The Hunt

My paintings begin with a stroll around Venice. This is always very enjoyable. Venetians say Americans walk in fifth gear. From them I had to learn how to walk in first gear. At first it's almost uncomfortably slow. It's not about getting anywhere, it's about being where you are, enjoying both the conversation (if strolling in company) and the view.

Once I started working on the paintings my strolls became hunts. I was hunting for those passages in the walls that held visual interest- either textural, tonal or archaeological.

Once back in the studio the hunt continues, searching for compositional harmony, a frame within the frame of the printed photo.

Then comes the construction...

Craftsmanship

In high school I made (and still make) surfboards. In college I worked for a boatbuilder, lofting sailboat hulls and shaping rudders and keel plugs. After college I worked in many facets of construction- residential remodelling, furniture design and fabrication, even hand carving wood. I used to joke, "I was born to sand."

At the time my various occupations seemed a bit random but they all came together when I started making these paintings.

My paintings are very labor intensive and time consuming. I see no way around that. I believe craftsmanship will outlast trends and styles of art. It is a quality that resonates across centuries and diverse cultures. I hope it is evident in my art.