Matthew the Horse seems an odd moniker for a rather large man from Leeds, and to be honest, I still don’t really understand his particular affinity with members of the equine species, but having met him I can say that he is a rather high calibre human. Having worked with Matt on DOOOM 3.0, I can avow not only to his adeptness with all manner of artistic tools, but also to his creativity and wit – and to having one of the best kept sketchbooks I have ever seen (pictured below). So recently we caught up with the lad to have a chat, here’s what he said:
Tell us a bit about yourself…
I am a big man who likes silly jokes and the outdoors. I grew up in the beautiful hills of the north, amongst wind and livestock. I studied at Bath Spa and now live in Leeds, where I teach at the art school. I don’t know anything about poetry but like to write poems. I try not to be cynical, I think that if we met we would get on.
What inspires and informs your work?
Energy, silliness, the human condition, horses, trying things out. I like rap music, hot meat, bicycle rides, thinking in the dark, heroes, trying to tell good stories, bashing the internet, drawing as a language, knobbing about.
What is your process…
I draw with a range of calligraphic pens and brushes, these brushes don’t allow for much detail so it encourages me to think about line and pattern. I’m interested in the relationship between shapes, functional visual devices and wobbly hand drawn lines. I never sketch out my line work, instead I draw the same pieces repeatedly until I’m happy with them. I do this in an attempt to recreate the magic of those purely uninhibited drawings that only happen in a note book. I draw in my note book as much as possible, these drawings are usually bad but occasionally something happens that I can own.