matthew terry

Matthew Terry is a Fine Art Photographer and graduate of the Academy of Art University, where he attained his BFA-Photography with a focus in Fine Art Photography in December of 2014. Currently located in the Davenport Iowa/Quad City area, Matthew picked up his first film camera in 2004 at age 16, and since has exhibited and sold work at galleries in San Francisco, Minneapolis, Colorado, and Omaha, among others. Growing up in the Midwest, he long felt alienated in both a physical and mental sense. Lost within his surroundings he found photography, and through this medium he found a way to connect with other individuals who also felt a similar level of detachment.

 Endlessly intrigued by the ability to capture and hold a distinct moment in time within a world constantly in motion, Matthew creates conceptual imagery that questions not only the identity of who we are, but also how we interact & relate to that which surrounds us.

www.matthewterryphoto.com

instagram: @matthew_terry_photo

Artist Statement:

From a young age I've fully embraced the idea that life is expression in of itself. Feeling the typical uncertainty of being a "lost adolescent",  at 16 I found photography, and I discovered that through this medium I could develop a way to connect with other individuals who also felt a similar level of detachment in ways that previously seemed out of reach. 

As I've grown and progressed as an artist and individual my personal dealings with anxiety and depression have also grown and progressed, often being a primary inspiration behind not only the way that I showcase my expression, but the need to express myself in the first place. I've delved into this side of myself in the past, but until recently never developed any project to this extent. The project is titled "In The Waiting Room." and focuses not necessarily on the "symptoms" that come along with various Mental Health issues, but rather the abstracts that those symptoms and the moments they occupy come to represent to an individual.

This project has an undeniable level of detachment represented within its imagery, which is often a feeling experienced by individuals with similar mental health issues. I have long felt not only lost within my surroundings, but truly disconnected from them. This project aims to document that feeling, focusing not only on the emotion of the individual but also upon the space they exist within, and the possible personification that space holds. 

In The Waiting Room attempts to present these issues in a way that helps promote the understanding that individuals experiencing these struggles are not alone. I want to help remove some of the stigma from feeling so overwhelmed by aspects of reality that are far from singular and should never be hidden or pushed aside as non-existent/secondary concerns. Art has always been a way for me to connect and feel less alone in a world that, often as a result of my own mental/anxiety-based issues, feels incredibly distant.

Furthermore I like to keep a level of individual interpretation in my work, and I want my viewers to experience the work aesthetically, yet still take more from the deeper meaning. I want the viewer to reflect on the relationship between our conscious and subconscious being and how it plays into Mental Health, not only to help better understand the commonality of these issues but also just how these issues impact those affected by them. In The Waiting Room showcases conceptual images which evoke a level of detachment subtle enough for most people to connect with. It is through this connection that I prove on a perceptual level just how related we actually are