Matt Jukes is known for his contemplative abstract artworks, but what does the artist want us to understand about his works and his creative process? Here are five facts about Matt’s work, accompanied by insights from the artist himself.
1. For Matt, the meaning of his work is paramount, along with the emotional reaction of the viewer. He places a large significance on the relationship between audience and artwork. The artist says of this: “There is no doubt that my work doesn't exist without the audience. Once I’ve put emotion onto the page, what I really want is for somebody to stand in front of my work and layer their own meaning on the top of it.”
Matt Jukes, Which Way Home II (2019)
2. Matt’s work is built on wilfully misremembering and manipulating memory: “I have a fascination with how memory is malleable; you're all that memory actually is. I quite like the idea of conjuring up these moments but then realising that those moments aren't actually real.” It's not so much recalling an accurate memory, but conjuring up the emotional response that accompanies it.
3. Over the course of the pandemic, Matt has found himself moving away from the printing press and into a wider variety of work, such as sculpture and immersive artworks. This interaction between artwork and audience has never been more important in his work. Matt claims he finds “it exciting how I’m able to create something which demands you to interact with it…that’s what I’m really interested in…How do I create an experience for the viewer which you're able to connect with? I really want people to engage and play with my art."
Matt Jukes, Here Comes The Warm Jets I (2019)
4. For Matt, his artworks go beyond reality and into a hidden dream world for people to explore. He says of this: “I think that all my works are like windows into a fantastical world, so how do I bring these worlds to life? How do I make them more immersive? How do I surround and wrap the viewer with this work so that they can have a deeper, stronger emotional connection to it?" Matt's Aurora series in particular encourages the viewer to engage with the work, as the pieces shift and change colour as you move either side of the piece.
5. Matt’s work is universal; his calming abstract shapes are relatable no matter your background, views or history. The artist says of this: “I want to show that even though we see the world in different ways, we're all brought together by the same emotion.” Matt’s work unites all walks of life through the power of emotion.
Matt Jukes, Aurora 1
If you would like to see more of Matt’s work, visit his Art Republic collection page. To hear more about the artist’s process, his experimentation with sculpture, and what’s next for him, take a look at our in-depth interview with Matt here.
