Matthew Benjamin
A man plucked a nightingale and, finding but little to eat, said: “You are just a voice and nothing more.” - Plutarch, Moralia
My practice explores notions of the ‘false’ through a sculptural blend of found and cast object arrangements. My artworks function as a type of decoy aiming to achieve something close to sincerity, but not necessarily truth.
Informed by my upbringing/previous occupation in viticulture and winemaking, my process parallels practices of propagation, fermentation and abstraction via distillation.
Personal narratives from a childhood in rural Victoria are explored through viticultural processes and recurring motifs, most commonly birds. I was forced to dress as an owl mascot for my town’s football team as they lost every game for five years.
In my work, the provincial and sophisticated meet to expose tragic and comedic realities, in a flip-flop of sincerity and farce.
Matthew Benjamin, Installation View. Image Courtesy of University of Melbourne.
Matthew Benjamin, The Late Late Show, Kayak mould, deconstructed church pews, hunting decoy pigeon, pine dowel, 2024.
Matthew Benjamin, The Late Late Show, Kayak mould, deconstructed church pews, hunting decoy pigeon, pine dowel, 2024.
Matthew Benjamin, ... a bus-stop lined by oak trees., owl decoys, motion activated hooting sounds, automotive paint, timber pallet, caster wheels, cross-country skis, 2024.
Matthew Benjamin, Collecting acorns near..., owl decoys, motion activated hooting sounds, automotive paint, steel, segmented pine log, caster wheels, acrylic paint, cross-country skis, 2024
Faculty of Fine Arts and Music
University of Melbourne