Here to There
Matthew Newman
Damascus, VA
2022
Recycled #2 plastic, locust
42″ x 29″’ x 9″ each
— 36th Rosen Sculpture Map —
This sculpture has been removed for the remainder of the 36th Rosen Exhibition
Photos by Chase Reynolds
It’s easy to get from here to there,
with a smile on your face and the wind in your hair,
so don’t sit by the road like a stick or a stone,
go for a ride with a friend or alone
Artist Comments
My intention as a woodworker stated at age 12: “I want to design and build beautiful things from wood.” At the time it was just something that I thought I wanted to do; now I know that it is who I am. The goal is to stimulate imagination, provoke thought, and inspire others: thru the celebration of a visual experience. This is challenging but communicating three dimensionally and validating interpretations are key in establishing an open mind. Encouragement and being exposed to a visual image is the impetus of our future innovations. Here, in support of free-thinking inquisitiveness, the celebration begins. Three Dimensionally; no words, paint or sound; a form that can exist in no other way; completely the right size, but containing growth; still, yet having movement; quiet with real vitality.
About the Artist
A woodworker most of his life, the small red vise that he uses today is the same vise that clamped his first piece of wood over fifty years ago. In 1976, after graduating with a BFA degree from Tufts University and a diploma from the Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, Matthew started a 5-year sawmill apprenticeship with master sawyer Stanley Stephenson, in Stow, MA. From tall tales to details he trained to be a sawyer. Newman Lumber started in 1981 running through 2011, providing quality material to fellow woodworkers, all the time honing skills and broadening his vision.
In 1985, he created the “Newman Basket” which has since been awarded a U.S. Design Patent by the United States Patent office. They continue to be in production and have been sold around the world. Collected and prized by museum, municipal and individual clients, his work goes from tiny to tremendous, playful to intense. In 2013 he moved to Damascus VA, bought the old hardware store and started “Trails ARTware”, a working studio/gallery for Matthew and a few friends.
For more information: www.asthesawturns.com