"Early Yearnings" will be a part of the exhibit of artist Matthew Patterson's work at the Jackson County Campus.
Artist Matthew Patterson presents his “Mementos” exhibit at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jackson County Campus through April 18. The exhibition is in the campus Fine Arts Gallery. An opening reception was held on March 14.
Patterson, an assistant professor in the Department of Visual Arts at the University of South Alabama, draws parallels to objects and memories in the exhibit, using crafted and found objects that relate to his personal stories, past and present. “I used a variety of materials, techniques and applications to craft this work, but glass played a central role in this part. I love the versatility of glass. It can be thick, thin, fragile, substantial, opaque, translucent, serious or ridiculous. I used it often in this body to imitate materials such as bone and wood, or used its clarity to emphasize the reflective nature of memory.”
He says that the objects people collect says a lot about who they are. “I am interested in exploring how objects often serve as a carrier to our emotions, impressions and even values. What we collect and how collect can say an awful lot about an individual. I believe it is often taken for granted that physical objects become tightly intertwined with how we perceive ourselves or how we would like others to perceive us. They become a part of our identify and therefore iconic.”
Patterson has been the recipient of many academic grants and awards, and his work has been exhibited in galleries, museums and private collections across the greater United States. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas in Arlington and has studied under numerous glass artists, including Ana Tiel, Martin Jenecky, John DeWitt, Ross Richmond and Robert Stern.
The exhibit is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. For more information about the exhibit or the gallery, contact (228) 497-7684.