Matthew Kirk

Feb 12

Matthew Kirk’s (b. 1978, Ganado, AZ) art exudes a rhythmic intensity based in a matrix of mark-making that he has developed, inspired by abstractions, comics, and Diné (Navajo) imagery, freely mixing materials including oil stick, chalk, gouache, spray paint, graphite, acrylic paint, colored tape, staples, and brass BBs, in a compositional strategy that merges a representation of the landscape of the Southwest and the freeform abstraction of music.

Across Kirk’s oeuvre, symbols appear: a pair of boots, a basketball, a Navajo man with a ponytail, creating a distinct visual world. Kirk’s signature mark-making and glyphic imagery reflect his relationship to his own Navajo heritage and identity and his investigation into the political implications of Native American culture. His compositions take on a life of their own, resembling road maps, Navajo rugs, or urban landscapes.

An enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, Kirk’s paintings and sculpture explore the space between the hegemonic American visual image of the Native and his lived experience, exploiting the hackneyed to both embrace and question imposed cultural tropes. Kirk is known for his use of commercial building and art handling supplies, repurposed materials from his studio, and found objects, including sheetrock, cinderblocks, wood, and basketball hoops.

“My paintings are extensions of my brain, physical existence, and my everyday life. Through my use of readily available materials, vague and familiar marks, and unique presentation, I have a desire to connect with people as a distinct individual. I want them to come away with an idea of who I am and how I relate to the work and the world. Just as family, work, current events, and city life are reflected in the work, my Indian heritage plays an important, but nuanced role. Early on, I wanted it to be very clear that “an Indian painted this” but I now want it to be equally clear that all aspects have vacillating value. That being said, I do want my work to help me feel connected to the part of my life I know very little about. Having not grown up with that side of my family, there is a therapeutic aspect to what I’m doing that takes precedent to explicitly representing myself as an “Indian”. There are many equally important aspects that come into play: conversations with my children (about super heroes, Star Wars, or the state of the environment), architectural patterns that resemble the natural landscape of Arizona, construction zones, and the street, where you can see the layers created by previous work done there. Ultimately, I’d like to give everyone a common ground to get lost in where—in a stream of consciousness—we let the painting be what it wants to be.”

- Matthew Kirk, Maake Magazine

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