Matt Kenyon’s Artist Statement

I feel a wonderful connection to the entire process of making art whether it is working in glass, wood, metal or any other medium. I have been putting things together and creating from a young age and have always had a passion for the construction of objects. Each piece that I create allows me to express a bit of my personality or imagination. I steadily try to keep my work contemporary and fresh.

Glass is a medium that provides me endless opportunity to create, learn and teach.  Glass does not have very many limits in itself. The substance, an outwardly privative, slow-moving molten liquid, is capable of being formed and molded with not much more than air, a wet newspaper and an inspired mind.  I am drawn to it mainly because of the creative process itself. The infinite variations of color, depth and texture – along with any shape my imagination can envision – are just a few reasons why I like working with glass over any other medium. The beginning of a form always starts the same way on an empty blowpipe, like an empty canvas for a painter. Each piece depends on my timing, balance and control. I especially like the fluidity and adaptability of molten glass. When I decide a piece is finished, I let it freeze. What had started as a dynamic fluid molten goo is now beautifully frozen in time.

When I create my furniture, I try to pair up the wood with the glass so that complementary synthesis is achieved. The two mediums have very different qualities, and I am constantly trying to blend one with the other to achieve a fluid balance. Synthesis between the two mediums is also attained through the use of color and medium characteristics. The personalities of each medium bring unique challenges that must be overcome. The process I follow bridges the gap to achieve harmony. Understanding the balance between mediums, I aim to create this beautiful synthesis.

Matt Kenyon’s Bio

Kenyon received his BFA in Furniture Design from Herron School of Art in 2008.  He has actively blowing glass at the Art Center for since 1998. Hi is an instructor at the Indianapolis Art Center as well as the department head of the glass studio.  He enjoys incorporating mixed media into his work including mainly focusing on glass with components of other mediums.  He has had a  studio at the Harrison Center since 2009 and has created a portable glass studio to take anywhere to do demos or classes.