Matt Lively

Art Brokerage: Matt Lively American Artist: Matt's work has consistently been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions and has been available for sale in galleries across the South from the time he was in college. His impressive track record is due in part to the unique nature of his work - what he calls "construction" paintings and wood collages. Lively creates in oil and non-traditional materials. He says his style is determined by the materials he is using at the time. "My subjects are simple and the objects are everyday, but the effect is other worldly." Another factor in his success comes from the humor found in his imagery. "Everyone who sees my work mentions the humor, whether it's silly or dark. I don't know if it's a big part of my personality, but it's a big part of my work; all of it is funny at some level." What separates Lively's work from that of other artists may also be his main inspiration - suburbia. His ideas spring from the "exaggerated suburban scene that I've seen pop up." He believes that the suburbs are underrated as an artistic center and that there are many exciting things happening away from the city. "There's always been some 'voices of the inner city', but there's never been someone who wanted to be the voice of the picket fence neighborhoods. I want to be that person." He also credits his wife as a major influence on his work. "She makes me want to impress her with what I do - to make new, bigger, better things all the time." Matt admits that his art is a complex mixture of many different styles, from the Old Masters to the contemporary artwork that hangs in today's galleries. "I look at things I like and things that intrigue me and try to figure out how they were done. But I also learn as much from things I hate - I learn what not to do." Lively is most proud of his current work, noting that his new paintings "have merit beyond what I thought I was capable of doing." Growing up in Richmond, Virginia, Matt knew at an early age that art was in his future. "I was seven or so and my parents let me stay up late one night and watch 'Saturday Night Live.' It had one of those fake commercials - only I didn't know it was fake - a public service announcement by Father Guido Sarducci on why you should become an artist. The reason - the average artist wakes up at noon. I wanted to wake up at noon; that's when I decided. My mom didn't like my choice of career, but I just kept going." Matt has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University. Listings wanted.