An emerging California artist, Matthew Frye’s work is characterized by intimacy, boldness of color, and profusion of life. Frye’s developed sense of artistic communication, champions intimacy with vibrant colors, forceful line, and visual rhythms that push the drama between pure abstraction and representational.

From humorous interpretations of growing old, bull fighters, farmers and fisherman, Frye’s work portrays real-world situations in a context of intimacy. In the work entitled Crabber, 2003, Frye depicts a moment of intimacy, portraying a crabber embracing a sharp edged crab as if it were his pillow or loved one. This painting reveals how anyone who desires intimacy must overcome obstacles (e.g. hard, sharp edges of the crab) that block closeness. It also shows how, in pursuit of intimacy one can get hurt by the being close and vulnerable. “Intimacy often involves sacrifice,” says Matthew Frye. “While it may unfurl with great pain, the results produce unparalleled joy."

Born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley, Frye is the youngest of five children, son of a nurseryman who later became a pastor; he learned early that people, like plants, require spiritual and emotional cultivation. Many of his paintings reflect his devotion to God, and his steadfast love for his family and friends. “Life is about loving one another, and finding a passion then serving others with it,” insists Frye. “Serving others weeds out the stuff that chokes the soul.”

Frye has studied in Florence, London, and California. He began seriously pursuing painting at Pepperdine University and continued drawing, painting and sculpting at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. Of his time at Pepperdine, Frye recalls “A total freedom to express myself.” Frye’s professor Joseph Piasentin fostered this independence. “I have the utmost respect for the individual and unique way they perceive the world. My desire is to cultivate personal vision,” says Piasentin. Joseph Piasentin, an acclaimed painter, did his graduate work under Nathan Olivera at Stanford University from 1975 to 1977 and became a professor at Pepperdine University in 1979. Piasentin’s work is shown Internationally.

After a hiatus from studying art, Frye met Martha Weinberg who befriended him and later encouraged him to study the fundamentals of art. Like Frye’s late grandmother, Weinberg was a student of Hans Hofmann in New York. “Martha introduced me to a whole cast of artists,” says Frye. “I became invigorated by Watteau for his figure drawings; Delacroix for his ability to render drama (e.g. lion hunts); Degas for his ability to transform everyday moments into masterpieces; van Gogh and Gauguin for their non-naturalistic use of color; Toulouse-Lautrec for his capture of raw characters in action; the Fauves for their bold colorful landscapes; Bonnard and Vuillard for their technical aptitudes in balancing a composition with decorative elements.” Hands-on perspective and figure drawing skills were cultured at the San Francisco Art Academy, where Frye was taught some of the roots of classical art. “I welcomed these classes, as tools to help me communicate my ideas and visions,” remembers Frye.

Matthew Frye currently lives in La Mesa, California with his wife and son and commonly visits friends and family in Fresno, San Francisco, Morro Bay and Santa Barbara. Matthew Frye’s artwork is being collected throughout California.

To learn more, please visit: www.matthewfrye.com or email: service@matthewfrye.com