Interview

Aug 7

Brian Mathus

Brian is a Dayton-based artist with a lifelong passion for visual expression. His artistic journey began in childhood, inspired by his mother’s drawings and fueled by early experiences at the Charles H. Taylor Arts Center. A formative period in Portland, OR, included studies at C.E. Mason and the Pacific NW College of Art, where he embraced a vibrant Fauvist approach. As a founding member of Rake Art Gallery, Brian’s work garnered recognition, including a visit to China. While family and a decade of service in the Air National Guard took precedence, his creative spirit remained strong. He earned a graphic design degree, further developing his eye for composition and order. Today, his Dayton studio is a hub of artistic exploration, where he focuses on figurative painting and brings a unique perspective to his work!

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I started by watching my mom draw at a girls scout meeting I was stuck at. I saw these abstract lines form into people. When I was fifteen, I went to the Smithsonian art museum and saw a Jackson Pollok painting and ‘a Symphony in White.’ This is where I became fascinated with figurative art and abstract expressionism. The juxtaposition of the two like watching abstraction turn into a figure and how they interact has become what I strive for. I studied under two teachers during and after college who I learned a fauvist like way of painting.”

What inspires you?

“My inspiration comes from the pleasure of existence - those moments of such intense presence that you feel the breeze as your self. It comes from the pain that gets bottled up, leaving a mark when released. I'm inspired by vulnerabilities in myself and others that reveal our true selves when we truly pay attention. Every sensation, every emotion, every bit of love and anger etched into my being - that's where I find my inspiration.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“The themes of my work typically look at the sublime, human interaction, and abstraction from emotional stimulus.”

How would you describe your work?

“It's said that all art is just the reflection of the artist. I think that's true of my work even when I'm not doing a self portrait and it's of someone else I bring my personality my tastes and my ideas of this person with me. I started of treating the elements of art like music. Now, I bring that kind of abstract visual music to the figures, because what is more expressive to us then a human body what is more poetic then a person expressing in a field of abstraction.”

Which artists influence you most?

“The first time I saw a Jackson Pollock and Whistlers "symphony in white" at the Smithsonian, something awakened in me that has been a theme I've been playing with to this day. Otherwise there are to many to list. I pay attention to Picasso because his cubism came from Africa, I'm sort of reclaiming the method for my ancestry. Rothko has a depth of feeling that transcends imagery.”

“It's said that all art is just the reflection of the artist. I think that's true of my work even when I'm not doing a self portrait and it's of someone else I bring my personality my tastes and my ideas of this person with me.”

What is your creative process like?

“I get flashes of inspiration, or I see something profound or strikingly beautiful. If I've been away from my practice, I start by writing and getting into a state of free flow so my emotions art right at the surface. Then, I build up a composition in graphite and conte crayon. Sometimes, I work live and sometimes from photos. After the composition is honed, I start in with acrylic to get the color composition and then I finish my detail out in oil paint.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“For a long time, I believed that art was something done like a bower bird, a kind of artistic display to attract a mate. But if you really look around at how art is integrated into our society how it is woven into our existence you can see how it carries the wisdom of our ancestors. It allows us to convey meaning in a deeper way then a conversation. The artist has always been a person who sees the world and feels a deep rooted part of themselves and expresses it. Society needs the artist; we lead to the more human expression that binds societies and gives common experiences so that others can relate.”