Matthew Mata

MFA - Art & Design - Time Arts

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Making hard choices and performing challenging tasks is an everyday occurrence, and it usually gets more complicated. But that’s the thing: You steer your own life for better or worse when making these decisions. My artwork focuses on interactivity, which promotes the idea that we all have self-motivation and agency.

There is a heavy focus on birds. There are a few reasons for this, and the quick answer is that birds are fun and cute creatures. They are also symbols of freedom, allowing them to choose where they want to go. Birds are also symbols of peace, which helps everyone work together and ultimately raise everyone’s life for the better. And thanks to the internet, birds are also symbols of humor and are ever more relatable for that reason. All of these traits and characteristics are employed within these artworks.

Phrases such as “it is what it is” and “go with the flow” give off a feeling of helplessness. These phrases imply that you don’t have a choice in what happens in your life. The truth is, you have to make decisions and choices. Life isn’t linear. There are always choices that need to be made, big and small. Matt’s art was created as a reflection of that viewpoint. Whether you make choices or not, things will still happen to you. So, listening to your surroundings and yourself is essential to making the most educated and informed decisions possible. Be the force.