Title: Sold Out

Media: Lithograph, Screenprint, Ink Wash, Marker Pen, Prismacolor Color Pencil & Pastel

Size: 44” x 30”

Title: Revolution Tango

Media:Screenprint, Prismacolor Color Pencil, Ink Wash, & Pastel

Size: 32” x 23”

Title: Principle

Media: Screenprint, Ink Wash, Gold Leaf, Charcoal & Pastel

Size: 22” x 30”

Title: Lost in the Cosmos (Series 2)

Media: Screenprint, Ink Wash, & Charcoal

Size: 22” x 30”

Title: Lost in the Cosmos

Media: Screenprint, Ink Wash, Charcoal, & Pastel

Size: 22” x 30”

Title: Animals Await the Fall of Man

Media: Graphite, Charcoal & Prismacolor Color Pencil

Size: 5’ x 7’

Title: Thanatos

Media: Hand Printed Stone Lithograph

Size: 22” x 30”

Title: Remaining (Installation)

Media: Plaster & Paper Clips

Size: 8’ x 20’

Title: Did Not Win The Kentucky Derby (Installation)

Media: Plaster & Paper Clips

Size: 50” x 60”

Human and Animal Rights

Selections of artwork from Mr. Sugarman’s oeuvre that address political and social concerns from a modern perspective are grouped within this section. Some of these works make statements concerning political confrontation and resistance. Other of these works address ways in which science is in confrontation with nature and/or the ways in which science may breed alienation in modern society.

Science exists fundamentally as an activity of the human mind. Within my artwork science is seen as akin to nature, but also frequently opposing it. The laws of nature are a principal area of scientific focus, but science is primarily a tool, a potential power put into the service of humankind and above all serves the desires and needs of man. As science continues to increase mankind’s power, nature dependency on human beneficence and wisdom for its survival increases.

The term “unnatural selection” has no historical precedent, but would suggest determining factors outside of nature having a bearing on the path of evolution. Very few things within the known universe can be considered outside of nature, but some workings of the human mind seem unique in nature and even separate from it. This is especially true of some categories of “pure thought” such as literary invention and scientific analysis.

The works “Lost Horizon” and "Animals Await the Fall of Man”, explore threats to nature such as species extinction and pollution. In these works animals and spiritual entities lament the embattled position of nature and mankind’s poor stewardship of the natural world. With few exceptions human history describes mankind’s acting out of complex ego and identity issues in the pursuit of “vainglory”. It is no surprise that we are now knowingly engaged in the devastation of our unique and irreplaceable natural world. In doing so we despoil rather than praise the metaphysical beauty of nature and insult the architect/creator of the cosmos. It is an irony that mankind is of nature, but proves to see himself above it, thus ensuring his own destruction. Are we like Iccarus who in being unhappy with being merely human, endeavored to be like God and flew too close to the sun?

home   I   Iartwork   I   biography   I   artist statement   I   contact the artist   I   site map
© 2010 Matthew Sugarman. All rights reservced.