We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Matthew Bielen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Matthew, appreciate you joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

I hope to leave behind work that’s sincere, no matter how popular or unpopular it becomes in the public eye. I don’t think most artists are being honest if they say they don’t care whether or not people like their art. It’s always nice when your mark aligns with what other people consider attractive, because you get a sense of validation, but I hope people are able to look at my art and see that what we’re each inspired by is what’s most important in art and in life.

Matthew, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I began making art as a kid and always knew that being an artist in some form was the only option for me. After high school, I attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in hopes of becoming an illustrator. I almost immediately got sidetracked and began taking experimental painting and drawing classes. I signed up for a class called “Anatomy of Drawing” in hopes of studying human anatomy and quickly realized that I was actually taking an intense class focused on abstraction. It totally shifted my vision and priority in creating art. After leaving school in Boston, I eventually gained representation in a couple of galleries and started to pick up some momentum as a professional artist. Along with selling paintings through galleries, I was also accepting more private commissions. I create art that people can view and/ or purchase and/or learn from, and/ or despise. My work is extremely personal, yet universal in the sense that it’s inspired by time and place. This being said, when a client commissions a piece, they’re putting a lot of trust in me as an artist and as an entrepreneur. My work doesn’t lend itself to special requests, preferences, or instructions due to the nature of the acrylic medium I use. Pouring paint is very unpredictable and is subject to surprises and happy accidents, but I think the risk is usually worth the reward.
I’d say I’m most proud of the friendships I’ve formed with so many creatives, and having gained the support of so many open-minded people. Artists supporting artists and art-lovers supporting living artists make it possible for creativity to thrive. Creativity breeds strange ideas that can evolve into serious solutions to some of our biggest global issues. My work is inspired by the intersection of the past and present. When history inspires us, we can begin to figure out our relationship to it and to our future.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I went to art school in Boston and when living as a student in the city took a toll financially, I had no choice but to move back home. There was actually a point where I was staying with my father and working to pay for my apartment in Boston 70 miles away. I stepped back from making any serious art for a bit and slipped into a very non-creative, monotonous lifestyle. I knew there had to be more for me in terms of “saying something” and slowly, but surely began to get back into a routine of putting in some creative time every day, and slowly compiling a small body of work. I submitted a painting to a gallery Call for Art, and to my astonishment, I was soon offered representation and a solo show.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I think it’s hard for everybody to unlearn what we’re taught as adolescents. When we reach a certain stage of education we’re taught to comply with deadlines and finished products. There were very few assignments in school that allowed us to tweak or tear down our work and start over from day to day. While certain business models obviously may center around producing a product in a timely manner for a client, creating as a habit should be something we make time for every day without anticipation or expectation.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.matthewbielen.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/matthewbielenartist
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/matthewbielenart
• Other: fourelevengallery.com/matthew-bielen