The Torqued Series started in 1998 with the introduction of the ‘Torqued Paintings’, an investigation into the basic principles of painting – line, shape, colour and form through the use of custom built stretcher frames that ‘torque’ the painting surface. This series has continued since, exploring different iterations on the same underlying principles. In recent developments to this series the wooden frame has foregone any right-angled proportions and instead has been constructed with no perpendicular sides to create a new and dynamic shape with resulting torqued surface. The original idea was to take one form and by changing the hanging position of each painting a new form would be visible.
In 2009 a new development in the Torqued Series emerged by considering the possibilities of removing the physical structure of the paintings (i.e. the stretcher frame), to focus more intently on only surface by maintaining a painted torqued plane that ‘floated off the wall’. To achieve this effect fiberglass panels are used as the painting support. With this new series I was interested in trying to achieve something ‘other-worldly’ and in a sense, futuristic. As the series has progressed the work has also become more individualized, each taking on colourful personalities.
The Torqued Series, the panels and paintings, live in aesthetic parallel and can be viewed as formal objects that blur the line between painting and sculpture by exploring the basics principles of art; line, shape, colour and form. The works also exist in a space where thoughts and feelings can live; as minimal objects of meditation that reflect our daily emotions.
Iris (Study) – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 78 x 70 x 10 cm – 2015
Iris (Study) – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 78 x 70 x 10 cm – 2015
Green (Study) – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 76 x 74 x 12 cm – 2015
Green (Study) – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 76 x 74 x 12 cm – 2015
Violet Lite – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015
Violet Lite – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015
Skiff – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 114 x 126 x 35.5 cm – 2015 – Destroyed – now Warp (2019)
Skiff – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 114 x 126 x 35.5 cm – 2015 – Destroyed – now Warp (2019)
Shimmer – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 156 x 100 x 30.5 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Shimmer – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 156 x 100 x 30.5 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Shimmer & Penelope – In process – 2015
Penelope – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 138 x 124.5 x 35.5 cm – 2015
Penelope – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 138 x 124.5 x 35.5 cm – 2015
Wibble (Study) – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 72 x 72 x 10 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Wibble (Study) – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 72 x 72 x 10 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Qwoth – In process – 2015
Qwoth – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 98 x 159 x 25 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Qwoth – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 98 x 159 x 25 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Pyro – In process – 2015
Pyro – Acrylic on canvas – 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015
Pyro – Acrylic on canvas – 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015
Geromino – Acrylic on canvas – 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015
Geromino – Acrylic on canvas – 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015
Geromino & Pyro – Acrylic on canvas – each 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015
Violet Lite & Geromino – Acrylic on canvas – 2015
Doubled No. 2 – Acrylic on canvas – 146 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015
Doubled No. 2 – Acrylic on canvas – 146 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015
Crated for shipment – 2015
Ciara – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 146 x 116 x 28 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Ciara – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 146 x 116 x 28 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Pili – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 146 x 116 x 28 cm – 2015
Pili – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 146 x 116 x 28 cm – 2015
Lily – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 154 x 142 x 33 cm – 2015
Lily – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 154 x 142 x 33 cm – 2015
Gamma – Acrylic on canvas – 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015
Gamma – Acrylic on canvas – 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015
Pitch – Acrylic on canvas – 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015
Pitch – Acrylic on canvas – 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015
Gamma & Pitch – Acrylic on canvas – each 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015
Doubled No. 3 – Acrylic on canvas – 146 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015
Doubled No. 3 – Acrylic on canvas – 146 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015
Orenge – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015
Orenge – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015
Orenge – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015
Doubled No. 4 – Acrylic on canvas – 146 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015 – (Destroyed 2018 due to damage)
Doubled No. 4 – Acrylic on canvas – 146 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015 – (Destroyed 2018 due to damage)
Stasis – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 130 x135 x 28 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Stasis – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 130 x135 x 28 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Triple No.1 (The Gals) – Acrylic on canvas – 79 x 213 x 20 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Triple No.1 (The Gals) – Acrylic on canvas – 79 x 213 x 20 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Shalamar – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 110 x 138 x 28 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Shalamar – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 110 x 138 x 28 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Moss – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 137 x 142 x 28 cm – 2015
Moss – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 137 x 142 x 28 cm – 2015
Starburst – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Starburst – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Starburst – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Doubled No. 5 – Acrylic on canvas – 146 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Doubled No. 5 – Acrylic on canvas – 146 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Doubled No. 6 – Acrylic on canvas – 146 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015
Doubled No. 6 – Acrylic on canvas – 146 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015
Soleil – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 129.5 x 135 x 28 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Soleil – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 129.5 x 135 x 28 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Celeste – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015
Celeste – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015
Cuivre – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015
Cuivre – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 86 x 20 cm – 2015
Wonky – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 92 x 90 x 23 cm – 2015
Wonky – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 92 x 90 x 23 cm – 2015
Echelon One – Acrylic on canvas – 91 x 46 x 15 cm – 2015
Echelon One – Acrylic on canvas – 91 x 46 x 15 cm – 2015
Echelon Two – Acrylic on canvas – 91 x 46 x 15 cm – 2015
Echelon Two – Acrylic on canvas – 91 x 46 x 15 cm – 2015
Echelon Three – Acrylic on canvas – 91 x 46 x 15 cm – 2015
Echelon Three – Acrylic on canvas – 91 x 46 x 15 cm – 2015
Echelon Four – Acrylic on canvas – 91 x 46 x 15 cm – 2015
Echelon Four – Acrylic on canvas – 91 x 46 x 15 cm – 2015
Hydro – Acrylic on canvas – 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015
Hydro – Acrylic on canvas – 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015
Hydro [detail] – Acrylic on canvas – 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015
Flamer – Acrylic on canvas – 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Flamer – Acrylic on canvas – 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Flamer & Hydro – Acrylic on canvas – each 167 x 163 x 25 cm – 2015
Slider (144) – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 169 x 51 x 51 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Slider (144) – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 169 x 51 x 51 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
Slider (144) – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 169 x 51 x 51 cm – 2015 – Private Collection
The Torqued Series started in 1998 with the introduction of the ‘Torqued Paintings’, an investigation into the basic principles of painting – line, shape, colour and form through the use of custom built stretcher frames that ‘torque’ the painting surface. This series has continued since, exploring different iterations on the same underlying principles. In recent developments to this series the wooden frame has foregone any right-angled proportions and instead has been constructed with no perpendicular sides to create a new and dynamic shape with resulting torqued surface. The original idea was to take one form and by changing the hanging position of each painting a new form would be visible.
In 2009 a new development in the Torqued Series emerged by considering the possibilities of removing the physical structure of the paintings (i.e. the stretcher frame), to focus more intently on only surface by maintaining a painted torqued plane that ‘floated off the wall’. To achieve this effect fiberglass panels are used as the painting support. With this new series I was interested in trying to achieve something ‘other-worldly’ and in a sense, futuristic. As the series has progressed the work has also become more individualized, each taking on colourful personalities.
The Torqued Series, the panels and paintings, live in aesthetic parallel and can be viewed as formal objects that blur the line between painting and sculpture by exploring the basics principles of art; line, shape, colour and form. The works also exist in a space where thoughts and feelings can live; as minimal objects of meditation that reflect our daily emotions.
Violet – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Violet – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Violet – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Rouge – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Rouge – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Rouge – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Or – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Or – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Or – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Noir – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Noir – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Noir – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
In process – MH Studio – 2014
In process – MH Studio – 2014
Bleu – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Bleu – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Bleu – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Blanc – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Blanc – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Blanc – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Bleu/Blanc/Noir/Or/Violet/Rouge – Acrylic on canvas – each 81 x 68 cm – 2014
Torqued panels in process – MH Studio – 2014
Torqued panels in process – MH Studio – 2014
Torqued panels in process – MH Studio – 2014
Torqued panels in process – MH Studio – 2014
Cyla – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 130 x 142 x 29 cm – 2014 – Private Collection
Cyla – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 130 x 142 x 29 cm – 2014 – Private Collection
Cyla – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 130 x 142 x 29 cm – 2014 – Private Collection
Pixie & Trixie – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 102 x 155 x 33 cm & 99 x 157 x 23 cm – 2014 – Private Collection
Pixie & Trixie – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 102 x 155 x 33 cm & 99 x 157 x 23 cm – 2014 – Private Collection
Pixie & Trixie – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 102 x 155 x 33 cm & 99 x 157 x 23 cm – 2014 – Private Collection
Sid- Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 122 x 145 x 29 cm – 2014 – Private Collection
Sid- Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 122 x 145 x 29 cm – 2014 – Private Collection
Sid- Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 122 x 145 x 29 cm – 2014 – Private Collection
Drawings – MH Studio – 2014
In process – MH Studio – 2014
Double No.1 – Acrylic on canvas – 146 x 86 x 20 cm – 2014 – Private Collection
Double No.1 – Acrylic on canvas – 146 x 86 x 20 cm – 2014 – Private Collection
Double No.1 – Acrylic on canvas – 146 x 86 x 20 cm – 2014 – Private Collection
The Torqued Series started in 1998 with the introduction of the ‘Torqued Paintings’, an investigation into the basic principles of painting – line, shape, colour and form through the use of custom built stretcher frames that ‘torque’ the painting surface. This series has continued since, exploring different iterations on the same underlying principles. Recent developments have seen the wooden frame forego any right-angled proportions and instead has been constructed with no perpendicular sides to create a new and dynamic shape with resulting torqued surface. The original idea was to take one form and by changing the hanging position of each painting a new form would be visible.
In 2009 a new development in the Torqued Series emerged by considering the possibilities of removing the physical structure of the paintings (i.e. the stretcher frame), to focus more intently on only surface by maintaining a painted torqued plane that ‘floated off the wall’. To achieve this effect fiberglass panels are used as the painting support. With this new series I was interested in trying to achieve something ‘other-worldly’ and in a sense, futuristic. As the series has progressed the work has also become more individualized, each taking on colourful personalities.
The Torqued Series, the panels and paintings, live in aesthetic parallel and can be viewed as formal objects that blur the line between painting and sculpture by exploring the basics principles of art; line, shape, colour and form. The works also exist in a space where thoughts and feelings can live; as minimal objects of meditation that reflect our daily emotions.
A Thin Red Line (in process) – Acrylic on canvas – 15 x 10 cm – 201 – ‘Small Works Projects’ submission
A Thin Red Line – Acrylic on canvas – 15 x 10 cm – 201 – ‘Small Works Projects’ submission
Fading Times II w/ colour test painting – Acrylic on canvas – 98 x 119.5 x 18 cm – 2013 – (work in progress)
Studio mess – 2013
Kassandra – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 152 x 150 cm – 2013 – (work in progress)
Kassandra – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 152 x 150 cm – 2013 – (work in progress)
Kassandra – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 152 x 150 cm – 2013 – (work in progress)
Kassandra – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 152 x 150 cm – 2013
Kassandra – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 152 x 150 cm – 2013
Kassandra – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 152 x 150 cm – 2013
Fading Times II w/ colour test painting – Acrylic on canvas – 98 x 119.5 x 18 cm – 2013 – (work in progress)
Fading Times II (detail) – Acrylic on canvas – 98 x 119.5 x 18 cm – 2013 – (work in progress)
Fading Times II – Acrylic on canvas – 98 x 119.5 x 18 cm – 2013
Fading Times II – Acrylic on canvas – 98 x 119.5 x 18 cm – 2013
Fading Times (No. 3) – Acrylic on canvas – 175 cm x 145 cm – 2013 – (work in progress)
Fading Times (No. 3) – Acrylic on canvas – 175 cm x 145 cm – 2013 – (work in progress)
Fading Times (No. 3) – Acrylic on canvas – 175 cm x 145 cm – 2013
Fading Times (No. 3) – Acrylic on canvas – 175 cm x 145 cm – 2013
The idea for the Torqued Panel grew out of the Torqued Painting series of 2009 when I was exploring the possibility of removing, or in the case of the 2009 work, of ‘hiding’ the structure of the paintings to focus more intently on only surface. The main concept was to completely remove the physical structure of the work but maintain a painted torqued plane that floated off the wall.
This series can be understood in two phases. Phase I can be seen as the technical stage in the development of this new work, working with a new material (fiberglass) and a time of learning, frustration but then clarity. Phase II marks the ‘eureka’ moment as the new direction became clear with the decision to rotate the hanging position of each panel and individually trimming down the panels into various proportional shapes.
In the early stages of the series I was interested in trying to achieve something ‘other-worldly’ and in a sense, futuristic, and as the work developed it has carried forward these notions yet investigates this through ideas concerning myth. I also know that whatever I think the work is about, it will also take on a life of its own as I continue to develop the series and the work progresses. I have felt this already as the works have become individualized, taking on colourful personalities of their own. Undoubtedly, I know that it is also my own life that is layered upon the surface, through the slow repetitive process of painting and sanding, over and over to achieve the ‘right’ surface. The Torqued Panels, like the Torqued Paintings, can be viewed as formal objects that explore the basics principles of art; line, shape, colour and form, yet they also exist in that space where thoughts and feelings can live; as simple objects of meditation that reflect our daily emotions.
Shades Acrylic on fiberglass panel 450 x 120 cm 2012
Shades Acrylic on fiberglass panel 450 x 120 cm 2012
Shades Acrylic on fiberglass panel 450 x 120 cm 2012
Peas in a Pod Acrylic on canvas 56 x 28 cm 2012 – Private Collection
Peas in a Pod Acrylic on canvas 56 x 28 cm 2012 – Private Collection
Drawing studies – 2012
Torqued Shapes – in process – 2012
Torqued Shapes – in process – 2012
Torqued Shapes – 2012
Ghost – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 79 x 30 cm – 2012
Ghost – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 79 x 30 cm – 2012
Green Go – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 84 x 28 cm – 2012 – Private Collection
Orange Shape – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 64 x 30.5 cm – 2012
Orange Shape – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 64 x 30.5 cm – 2012
Yello – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 88 x 29 cm – 2012
Yello – Acrylic on fiberglass panel – 88 x 29 cm – 2012
Symmetry, futurism, bleeding edges, infinitely repetitive layers, contrasting textures and hidden messages. These words that describe Canadian artist Matthew Hawtin’s paintings, prints and sculpture could easily apply to the music made by his brother, techno producer Richie Hawtin. It’s in this solo exhibition, showcasing some of the art Matthew has made in conjunction with his brother’s record labels Plus 8 Records and Minus Records, that we can see the parallels between the two mediums.
Since he started making art linked to record labels in the early 1990s, 39-year-old Matthew has been steadily refining his work. The minimalism, clean lines, abstract concepts and layering that defines his work have been there since the beginning.
“My work has slowly been minimalised and reduced,” he says. “I think that’s what any artist wants to do, whatever medium they work with. They want their work to be refined until it’s down to its pure essence; achieve an idea in its purest form, in a way.”
The abstract shapes and colours on Matthew’s paintings for Richie’s F.U.S.E project, made in 1993, hint at his original ideas about symmetry and space. His concept for these pieces was to create 3D space on the 2D surface. Those paintings ended up becoming the artwork for his brother Richie’s ‘Dimension Instrusion’ album and 12” release, that he put out under his F.U.S.E moniker.
Examine the work that follows these early pieces and you can see how Matthew’s minimal style and reductive aesthetic intersects similar points in the development of electronic music. The early days of putting paint on canvas have developed into the flowing futurism of his fiberglass-manufactured then hand-painted Torqued Panels series. Matthew’s methods of making art have become more advanced, his materials more refined and the process more technical in parallel with the technological advances in making electronic music. In this respect, this exhibition is the story of Plus 8 Records and Minus Records told visually.
Phase II marks the eureka moment with the panels, with the decision to rotate the position of the panels, and then, the evening before the panels went to O&O for surface preparation I decided to cut down each panel into individual but proportional shapes. The surfaces were then prepared and primed and then returned to my studio for finishing. So far, there are 8 panels. Four of the panels are individual pieces yet form relationships with one another, and the other four panels are combined into one single piece, a quadtych.
The work itself has carried forward the notion of the other-worldly and investigates this in terms of outer space and ideas concerning myth and the celestial. The torqued panels, like the torqued paintings, can be viewed as formal objects that explore the basics principles of art; line, shape, colour and form, yet they also exist in that space where thoughts and feelings can live, as simple objects of meditation that reflect our daily emotions. I know it is my own life that is layered upon the surface, during the slow process of painting and sanding, painting and sanding, over and over to achieve the ‘right’ surface. Undoubtedly, I also know that whatever I think the work is about, it will also take on a life of its own as I continue to work on the series and the ideas develop further. I have felt this already as the works have become individualized, taking on colourful personalities of their own. Like the unique planets that make up our solar system or our relationships with friends and family, the Torqued Panels are meant to exist across the spectrum of our daily experiences that we carry with us day after day, night after night, thru life.
The idea for a torqued panel grew out of the Torqued Painting series of 2009 when I was exploring the possibility of removing, or in the case of the 2009 work, of hiding the structure of the paintings to focus more intently on only surface. The main concept was to completely remove the physical frame of the work but maintain a torqued plane and leave behind only a painted surface that floated off the wall.
I choose to work in fiberglass for this new series, firstly by taking a mould of an old torqued painting and then using the mould to cast the panels. The mould and subsequent panels were produced at Jim’s Automotive in Windsor, Canada. Initially we produced 4 small panels to test different painting applications and later we produced another 10 panels at the maximum size of 121 x 121 cm.
Phase I can be seen as the technical stage in the development of this new work, a time of learning and frustration but then clarity that finally comes thru trial and error. Once cast, the panels went to O&O Automotive in Windsor for the surfaces to be prepared for painting. At this stage my ideas for the panels were centered on working with automotive paint in order to achieve a high-gloss and refined finish. I completed a series of small drawings exploring different designs and was interested in trying to achieve something ‘other-worldly’ and in a sense, futuristic, though the ideas were still being formulated as the work progressed. Working at O&O, I decided to do 2 of the designs to explore and confirm the new direction. The results can be seen in the pieces Edge and In & Out. These works were first hung square on the wall but were then turned into a diamond orientation. Despite looking better I did not feel confident with the final results thus these 2 works, plus a smaller panel, are now the only examples of this phase. It is not that the works aren’t aesthetically pleasing or aren’t successful works of art, they were simply moving the work into a direction I wasn’t interested in exploring.
Thus I retraced my steps back to the panels themselves and back to the original torqued paintings. After much deliberation I decided to prepare the surfaces as if they would be coated with car paint but instead I would finish the surfaces by hand with acrylic paint and in my own studio. I felt this bought the work back to myself, which personalized the work once again and helped move things in a new direction and onto Phase II of the Torqued Panels.
The mould taken from a Torqued Painting – Jim’s Automotive, Windsor, Canada, 2010.
Casting a panel in fiberglass – Jim’s Automotive, Windsor, Canada, 2010.
Casting a panel in fiberglass – Jim’s Automotive, Windsor, Canada, 2010
In the fall of 2010 I returned to Windsor, Canada to continue work on the Torqued Panels. Back in a familiar studio I also began work on two new Torqued Paintings, to keep busy while the panels were being produced and as a way to re-evaluate and re-investigate the original paintings. I think working on these pieces enabled me to clarify the direction I eventually decided to take with the Torqued Panels, something that wasn’t exactly clear while I producing the new work.
Also at this time I received a private commission for a Torqued Painting. The original piece, The notion of dread rather than anticipation, was actually produced in 1998 but had some surface damage, thus I was asked, and accepted to re-make the work exactly as before. The work was produced at the beginning of 2011 and the finished piece was packaged and shipped to Atherton, CA, where it now resides.
New directions for the Torqued Paintings will continue to be developed later this year alongside the Torqued Panels.
Works in progress – MH Studio – 2010
Work in progress (The Beyond) – 2010
Work in progress (Quiver) – 2010
Work in progress (Quiver) – 2010
The Beyond – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 81 x 25 cm – 2011
The Beyond – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 81 x 25 cm – 2011
The Beyond – Acrylic on canvas – 81 x 81 x 25 cm – 2011
Quiver – Acrylic on canvas – 122 x 122 x 15 cm – 2011
Quiver – Acrylic on canvas – 122 x 122 x 15 cm – 2011
Quiver – Acrylic on canvas – 122 x 122 x 15 cm – 2011
Work in progress – 2011
Work in progress – 2011
Work in progress – 2011
The notion of dread rather than anticipation (2011) – Acrylic on canvas – 144 x 122 x 31 cm – 2011
The notion of dread rather than anticipation (2011) – Acrylic on canvas – 144 x 122 x 31 cm – 2011
The notion of dread rather than anticipation (2011) – Acrylic on canvas – 144 x 122 x 31 cm – 2011
Once Again, Again offers a long forgotten snapshot of what made the beginning of the 90s such a special place to be. It was a time to champion all forms of electronic music and pour them into one big melting pot, before everything began splintering into genres and sub-genres. Back then Richie wasn’t the only member of the Hawtin family making waves as a DJ, over in the chill out room Matthew was also captivating crowds with marathon ambient sets. This unique mix compilation, available in two formats – a downloadable three hour transcendental voyage or the more slim line 75 minute CD version – represents a very personal account of what it was like.
Between 1993 and 1998, Matthew was a regular at Detroit parties like Hardest, Spastik and Heaven and Hell, providing the Yin to his brother’s Yang so to speak. For him, ambient music offered a more emotional, thoughtful and evocative journey and the chill out room was a safe place for people to drift in and out and make a different kind of contact, away from the intensity of the main room. As well the midwest, his exploits inevitably took him further a field to play at major European events like Tribal Gathering, Sonar and Time Warp.
95% of Once Again, Again originates from 1993 to 1996 including tracks by such artists as Sun Electric, Irresistible Force, Peter Namlook and MLO and should serve up a timely dose of nostalgia for the old guard, while introducing a whole new generation to the rich, dynamic history of a genre that briefly dominated the electronic landscape. Matthew has really gone back to the source with a selection that has truly stood the test of time. The result is a real joy to experience, packed with soothing textures, glistening melodies, restrained percussion and mandatory bird call. Until now, most of these tracks have only ever seen the light of day on vinyl and with that in mind, Tim Xavier’s mastering skills have also added an extra dimension – a crispness that breathes new life into this collection of floating monoliths that blend together without the slightest resistance.
So lie back, unplug all possible sources of interruption and let yourself drift through this expertly constructed spectrum of sound, to a time when a wide-eyed generation of party people really felt they could make a difference to the world. 15 years later things may not have turned out quite how we hoped, but this special mix at least proves that some of us haven’t stopped believing.
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Artist: Matthew Hawtin
Title: Once Again, Again
Catalogue No.: PLUS8107CD
Label: PLUS 8 RECORDS
Distribution: Rough Trade / Beatport / M-nus / Juno
Format: CD, wav, mp3
Release Date Physical: March 8th, 2010
Release Date Digital: March 10th, 2010
Track Listing:
1. A.S.I.O. and Paddee – Transparencies From The Outer Regions
2. Pineapple Circle – Circle Waves
3. Namlook – The Dutch Side of the Milky Way
4. Jet Chamber – Feedback Fluctuation
5. Solar Quest – Flying Spirals
6. Further – Ugene
7. James Bernard – Helix
8. The Irresistible Force – Flying High
9. MLO – Aqua
10. The Irresistible Force – Symphony in E
11. A Positive Life – Aquasonic
12. Dubtribe Sound System – Quiet Earth
13. MLO – Sleeper
14. Aedena Cycle – The Dreamshadow
15. Atlas – Compass Error (East)
16. Sun Electric – Northern Lights
17. Porcupine Tree – Voyage 34: Phase 3 (Astralasia Dreamstate)
18. Shades Of Orion – Liquid Shade
19. Theorem – Emerge
20. Gustavo Lamas – Naturales
21. James Bernard – Euph
22. FUSE – Carocell
23. A.S.I.O. and Paddee – Transparencies From The Outer Regions
24. Squid – Emprisoning Sound On a Piece Of Wax
25. Legion of Green Man – Synaptic Response (Memories Reoccuring)
26. A.S.I.O. and Paddee – Transparencies From The Outer Regions
27. Sun Electric – Sarotti
28. MLO – Birds and Flutes
29. Link – Amenity
Once Again, Again – Plus 8 Records release – Catalogue ID: PLUS8107CD
Good ideas are hard to forget. I think that is what has returned me to the Torqued Paintings. My last developments were completed at the beginning of 2002 in Canada, I then moved to the UK and everything changed. Not my overall aesthetic but certainly the work I was constructing. I found myself reconsidering the work during summer 2008 when I decided to finish some canvases that I never completed. It brought me back to painting, to the canvas, and the surface that curves through space. Now 6 years on there are new avenues to explore, new ways of seeing and new materials to use. My concerns remain, the work being about surface and space, about design and colour, about objects and forms. There are new ideas to manifest and new ways to think. I find myself moving on a familiar path but with the experiences of the past pushing me forward. I look onward and onward I journey.
Black Hover – Oil & acrylic on canvas – 60 x 60 x 15 cm – 2009 – (Destroyed 2010)
Black Hover (detail) – Oil & acrylic on canvas – 60 x 60 x 15 cm – 2009 – (Destroyed 2010)
Blue Hover – Oil & acrylic on canvas – 60 x 81 x 21 cm – 2009
Blue Hover – Oil & acrylic on canvas – 60 x 81 x 21 cm – 2009
Red Hover – Oil & acrylic on canvas – 65 x 77 x 17 cm – 2009
Red Hover – Oil & acrylic on canvas – 65 x 77 x 17 cm – 2009
Yellow Hover – Oil & acrylic on canvas – 87 x 82 x 16 cm – 2009
Yellow Hover (detail) – Oil & acrylic on canvas – 87 x 82 x 16 cm – 2009
Yellow Hover – Oil & acrylic on canvas – 87 x 82 x 16 cm – 2009
Coloured Hover – Oil & acrylic on canvas – 53 x 53 x 16 cm – 2009
Coloured Hover – Oil & acrylic on canvas – 53 x 53 x 16 cm – 2009
Coloured Hover (detail) – Oil & acrylic on canvas – 53 x 53 x 16 cm – 2009
Blue Zip – Oil & acrylic on canvas – 152 x 28 x 15 cm – 2009
Blue Zip (detail) – Oil & acrylic on canvas – 152 x 28 x 15 cm – 2009
Blue Zip – Oil & acrylic on canvas – 152 x 28 x 15 cm – 2009
Black Black Gold – Oil & gold leaf on canvas – 60 x 60 x 15 cm – 2009 – Collection of the Artist
Black Black Gold (detail) – Oil & gold leaf on canvas – 60 x 60 x 15 cm – 2009
Black Black Gold – Oil & gold leaf on canvas – 60 x 60 x 15 cm – 2009
