MATT COPSON

Utilizing examples from folklore, the culture industry, and ancient philosophy, Copson reintroduces familiar narratives, sometimes partially rendered or in the process of abstraction. Central to these narratives are protagonists or characters who typically express themselves in the form of a soliloquy while coming to terms with their current state or predicament, a predicament that can only be described as being highly dramatic, perpetually conflictual, and impossible to resolve.

For the last several years, Copson has focused on the specialized medium of laser animation. Traditionally employed in concerts, nightclubs, and Pink Floyd events, the artist became fascinated with the medium as a natural progression from what has been a foundational source for his practice both as a tool and as a conceptual methodology: drawing.

In contrast to a traditional moving image, laser animation distinguishes itself not only in terms of how light is manifested (and projected) but more importantly in how movement is rendered. In a moving image, the illusion of movement is depicted through multiple still images and the minute shifts between them. In a laser projection, movement is essentially generated by movement itself: mechanical motors rapidly move lasered points across a material surface to form a picture. Thus, even a still image generated by laser projection is continually in movement. Synonymous with the act of drawing, laser animation can be fundamentally understood as drawings in movement.

For Copson, this holds prismatic significance insofar as the primary concern of his practice since its onset has been contemporary subjectivity, defined by the conditional constants of flux, spectacle, and attention.

Matt Copson was born in 1992 in London, England. He currently lives and works between London and Los Angeles. Recent solo exhibitions include: Aspen Art Museum (with Oliver Leith), Aspen, USA; C L E A R I N G, Brussels, Belgium; Swiss Institute, New York, USA; Reena Spaulings Fine Art, New York, USA; Louis Vuitton Foundation, Paris, France; Mönchehaus Museum, Gosler, Germany; Serpentine Sackler Gallery, London, England. Group shows include: CAPC, musée d’art contemporain, Bordeaux, France; C L E A R I N G, Paris, France; Baltic Triennal 14, Vilnius, Lithuania; Timothy Taylor Gallery, New York, USA; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia; Ca’ Pesaro Galleria Internazionale d’Arte Moderna, Venice, Italy; Tanya Leighton, Berlin, Germany; ICA, Sadie Coles, London, England; Rodeo, London, England.

^{Text courtesy High Art}