Up Close and Personal With Matthew Stradling
Provocative and beautiful nudes
Matthew Stradling predominantly paints male nudes in a pseudo-classical style. They are so lavishly vibrant and colourful you could easily imagine how all those ancient marble statues might’ve originally looked... only Michaelangelo’s David didn’t sport a raging boner. Born in Hertfordshire, Matthew now works from his studio in north London. His work has been exhibited internationally and is soon to be displayed at the Sartorial Gallery alongside Lee Maeler and Julie Bennett. He’s also had pieces commissioned from everyone from Marc Almond to the Malaysian Royal Family.
You mention that you're inspired by the Old Masters. Your work definitely has a mythic decadence about it. Tell us more about this.
Yes, I have always been amazed by the technical skill of the Old Masters - the sheer talent to create such believable illusions and to somehow make them more than real. They really knew how to OBSERVE.
I think the illusory world that they constructed fascinates me because it evokes an aura of timelessness within which they escape the day-to-day and deal with deep human emotions. There’s a kind of mythic quality which talks to us regardless of time, place or culture. They always seemed to deal with big archetypal images, very visceral and sensual. Also I'm a big sucker for a bit of decadence and the Old Masters always delighted in the pleasures of luxurious textures and ornamentation and never shied away from the sensuality of flesh. There is a satisfying sumptuousness to much of the work which is like gorging yourself on a gourmet meal.
I noticed that you do some commission work. Tell us a bit about this. Do people usually ask for portraits of themselves, or of others?
Yes lately I have been working almost exclusively to commission. It really varies - some ask for portraits of themselves, with others it's for gifts. Quite often people want me to envision an idea or fantasy they have in mind either of themselves or others. I like it when commissioners give me a bit of license to put a bit of 'me' into the work, others are very clear about exactly what they want - then I do feel a bit like an illustrator.
Do you aim for a photorealistic style when doing commissioned work, or are you a bit generous? (go on, you can tell us).
No I don't aim for a photorealistic style - I suppose most people like to be a bit tweaked! And I'm happy to idealise... I do like to look at beautiful things. But some people do have elements that conventionally are regarded as ugly, which are essential to making them who they are and actually make them beautiful. It's like when they tried to fill in the dimple on Kirk Douglas's chin - he lost all his charm and character. I usually gloss over the minor defects whilst maintaining the essentials of what makes a person individual - they have to look 'alive' at the end of it.
The Parents piece is beautifully honest and vulnerable. How were your folks about you doing a nude of them?
At first they were a bit worried by the idea but after I had explained my reasons they were fine. I wanted to show the reality of the body in advanced years, the closeness of their relationship and that sexuality still exists in old age. In a way it was also a meditation on mortality - they are where I came from and they will not be here forever.
I was amazed because I had not been conscious of ever seeing them naked in all my life - so it was quite uncomfortable to have them both in front of me naked. But they were totally cool about it - in fact they asked to pose in the back garden where all the neighbours could see because the light was not good inside! I think it was a great act of love on their part to publicly lay themselves on the line for my sake.
Which self-portrait do you think most accurately represents how you're feeling at the moment, and why?
I think the painting Touch Me/Don't Touch Me is closest. It has an ambiguity and vulnerability about it. There is a lot about wanting to display the 'real' me and also a fear of being revealed. It's the eternal battle of wanting what you can't have and having what you don't want! There’s lushness in the use of paint but also bleakness in the imagery and colouration. I am very in touch with contradictory feelings at the moment and am trying to feel settled and at ease about that.
Two of the common visual themes through your work are wounds and pearls - how do these relate to the figures in the pieces?
I guess the wounds came from all those Old Master images of saints and martyrs. They kind of represent vulnerability - the beauty of the body is superficial to all the blood and guts inside. Wounds also represent damage and imperfection - we all have our wounds to bear but in much religious imagery the figures display them with pride. The wounds in my paintings often have a vaginal feel about them - they are often gaping or emitting something. I guess there is some link between sex and death in this image. The wounded figures are often shown in a state of ecstasy - orgasm can be seen as a rehearsal for the extinction experienced at death.
Likewise the imagery of pearls began as a symbol of sperm - often the pearls are pouring from wounds! To me the pearls are like chains of life - like DNA - they entwine around the figures and are superabundant. They are redolent of the sea, of primal life forms, of creative seeds, of atoms. I always loved the idea that pearls are actually pieces of dirt that an oyster forms into a beautiful jewel - again there is ambiguity about the value of things.
The Up Close and Personal show will begin at the Sartorial Gallery on 26 June and run until July 23rd.
You can see more of Matthew's artwork at www.matthewstradling.com
