Artistic License: Glenn Matthews - The Gloss Magazine

Artistic License: Glenn Matthews

You may have seen Glenn Matthews’ vibrant pop art in Dublin Airport, or know one of his pieces from an album cover in tribute to Rory Gallagher. Here, he reveals how he started and who inspired his love of this genre …

Who or what kickstarted your interest in art?

I grew up (in Co Down) surrounded by art. My mum was extraordinarily talented in the tapestry world and our house was filled with Van Gogh, Lowry, Da Vinci and Monet tapestries. Not to mention the original Basil Blackshaw painting of my grandfather. When mum ran out of store-bought pieces to do, I would sketch on blank material for her. That became what I call her Knuttel phase (sorry, Graham). At school, I was taught by the renowned painter and printmaker, RJ Croft. I loved his easy-going, languid style and thrived under his guidance.

Two things have stayed with me since then. Firstly, always look up. In cities in particular, you see nothing of interest on the ground. Secondly, draw what you see, not what you think you see. For example, our faces are never symmetrical, so don’t try to make them so.

To say that art saved my life may be a stretch, but it certainly saved my sanity.

How did you start painting pop art?

I always sketched, but only started taking art seriously when I went through a separation and moved back to Ireland from Spain. Unable to see my kids, I had to find something constructive to do. Painting was my saviour, by chance. I found a 6 x 3 ft MDF board in the apartment I rented; rather than throw it out, I decided to paint a version of a Terry Bradley piece that we had on our wall in Spain. I loved it! I had never painted on that scale before and I was hooked. (Terry is an old mate from Belfast and he didn’t mind me butchering his work).

After that, I knew I had to paint more. I went from MDF to cheap canvas, then better and better canvas. Social media became my best friend and, with others reposting my work, people started to notice. Soon, I had the likes of Steve Garrigan (Kodaline), Donal Gallagher (Rory Gallagher’s brother) and Glen Hansard discovering my work.

I want people to walk into a room and go ‘Wow!’

Are there any pop art painters who have inspired your work?

Inspiration for my work comes in many forms. With regards to other artists, there are many who I find I go back to time and again. Most notably would be Shepard Fairey, SEEK ONE and, closer to home, Terry Bradley. All of whom keep me striving for more creative, more meaningful work. On a purely emotional level, I find the genius of Silvio Porzionato simply incredible. Andy Warhol is a further inspiration, especially how he marketed his work. In that regard, he was a genius and he was simply years ahead of anyone else.

By learning from these artists, my style has developed as I became more aware of how darkness and shadow can become, almost, more important than the light in a good piece. Shadows can add a melancholy that would otherwise be impossible to create.

My passion is to produce work with the subject instantly recognisable, not with the minimum of brush strokes, but certainly without unnecessary embellishment. The viewer can fill in all the details with their knowledge of the person on show. Added to the bold colours and larger stature of my paintings, I hope I create pieces of real impact.

Can you tell us about some of your commissions and the process?

Gaining a commission is such an incredible compliment to any artist, but they’re also filled with a love/hate element that’s impossible to ignore. The joy and honour of being selected from the multitude of portrait artists, balanced with the crippling anxiety of wondering if you’re good enough is – to say the least – interesting.

I’ve been incredibly lucky with some of the work I’ve been asked to produce. My take on Rory Gallagher has gone on to become an album cover, The French Connection, which I’m hugely proud of.

I was once paid with a car for three commissions, handy when the car I had been driving finally died in a ball of smoke! The most personal commission I’ve painted was of a mother and daughter both holding and blowing on a dandelion. A beautiful photograph which I hope I did justice to. Sadly, the little girl died a few months later.

I like to give the client the full emotional event of discovering the piece for the first time in the flesh. Success is sometimes measured in tears.

The process of a commission starts with the client and I discussing the photograph to be used or produced. I ask for three to four weeks to complete the project, so asking someone to sit is out of the question. Particularly if the piece is to be a surprise or the subject has passed.

The fee varies, but a ball-park figure is €1,500. Once a non-refundable deposit of 50 per cent is received, the clock starts ticking. I send progress pictures up to a certain point. Beyond that, I hope, is where all the magic happens. 

Where and how do you work? 

I currently work from home in Dublin. Fortunately, I have a large living room, divided by living space and art space, and understanding kids. I was fortunate to have a studio in Ardgillan Castle for a couple of years, which was a real blessing, and hope to be lucky enough to bag a studio in the new Swords Cultural Quarter now under construction.

The future is likely to be overseas though. I don’t expect to be able to afford to stay in Ireland, so have started making plans for Spain or Italy. I have galleries asking for my work in both. Most notably, Art Nou 277 Gallery in Barcelona and The Art Gate Project in Milan, where I have an open invitation to exhibit.

Follow Glenn on Instagram @glenn.matthews.art and for more information on his art visit; www.glennmatthewsart.com.

SEE MORE: Artistic License – Maria Atanackovic

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