Exclusive // Michelle Matson: Bravo Reality Star and Star Artist

If you (like some of us) were addicted to the second season of Bravo TV's art reality show, "Work of Art: The Next Great Artist" then you know Michelle Matson is a household name. For all those skeptics out there, don't let the phrase "reality star" turn you off. Matson--as well as the rest of her cast mates--are anything but the watered-down version of "real" artists you might expect to find on a reality TV show. For starters, Matson's preoccupation with motifs like bodily fluids (let your imagination run wild here) aren't exactly Bravo's typical mainstream fare. 

While Matson may not have made it to the final round, her singular point of view and dedication to craftsmanship make her something of a visionary. We caught up with her to talk about her latest show, "Cactus Milk," which opened last Friday at Youth Group Gallery in Brooklyn. 

3W's Perrin Drumm: Tell me a bit about "Cactus Milk." How did you choose the title?

Michelle Matson: There is latex sap within cacti--if you wound a cactus it oozes out of the plant. This sap is commonly called "cactus milk." It's not edible. It can actually cause skin irritation and blindness in its raw form. I like that the cactus is this armored, phallic thing, and that it produces latex when you hurt it. When I think of latex I immediately think of condoms. I like that the cactus is a vessel for latex, some sort of thorny vessel for protected sex. Maybe that doesn't make any sense at all, but somehow it makes sense to me! This exhibition is a sort of visual free-association on that idea featuring large0scale installation, sculpture and painting. 

PD: In general, your work seems to be the meeting point between the playful and the grotesque. Have you always worked in this vein, or have you seen your choices change as your style has evolved?

MM: I believe that it is impossible to separate a person from the art they make, and my personality is very evident in my work. I've made a concerted effort to allow myself to delve more deeply into my subconscious. I've stopped trying to censor or edit ideas that lie on the darker side.

PD: Materials are also a huge part of your work. When I look at your work, the materials are the primary focus, subject matter is second. How did you come to sculpt with paper? What is it about paper that you prefer over more traditional sculpture materials?

MM: I began to work with paper because of financial necessity and I continue to work with it because of its versatility and immediacy. For me it's like drawing in 3D. The works in this show are primarily made of paper but I have been experimenting with incorporating other materials; dried latex paint, foam, plaster, quail eggs, disco balls, needles, dead plants, synthetic hair...

Right now, I especially like working with synthetic hair. I love how temporary and delicate paper can be. There is inevitably going to be decay and destruction happening in my pieces the longer they exist in this world. Because of that, I maintain high quality photo archives of each piece so I can keep pristine reproductions of each sculpture. 

PD: How did you feel the opening of "Cactus Milk" went?

MM: The opening reception was incredible. It was packed wall to wall with friendly faces. There was only one art casualty. One of the sculptures got danced into and the plexi vitrine broke, but that's an easy fix. The exhibition will be open by appointment until February 10th--come check it out!  

PD: Lastly, are there any lessons you've learned from the whole Bravo TV experience?

MM: Absolutely. We are all capable of greatness, more capable then any of us can even fathom. We just have to give ourselves the space, time and permission to let it happen.

We'll toast to that.

For a "Cactus Milk" viewing appointment, call (423) 802-8831

-- Perrin Drumm