Matthew Brown: Ark

July 17—August 15, 2009

Ark is a series of paintings based on photos taken of Animal Dioramas at Natural History Museums in New York and Los Angeles. The paintings are done using a traditional Oil Painting technique involving under painting, over painting and transparent glazes. The Dioramas of animals created for the Museums depicted in these paintings are based in 19th century exhibition strategies. These strategies, ironically involved hunting and killing the largest and most ideal specimens in order to put them on display for the education of the public about the beauty and wonders of the natural world. The paintings raise questions about our relationship with the Natural World and the balance between Nature and our relationship to it.