Outsider artist, up from the street

Many years ago, my son and I visited a street fair in Georgetown, DC. Although all the artists showing their work were either fine artists or craftspeople, I always keep my eye open for the untrained outsider artist who might make a space for themselves at the fringes of a show. We were in luck, as Matt Sesow and his then girl friend were arranging Matt's paintings against the facade of a building. To see Matt Sesow's paintings is to share in a bit of his reality. A landing airplane hit and severed his left arm at the age of eight, forcing him to become right handed. The physical and emotional pain of the trauma has left a clear mark on Matt's work. In 1994, at the age of 28, he began painting. His titles, such as "Painting by Remembers", "Lost Luggage", "Alone in Death", and "Sucker Punch", are more than subtle hints of the turmoil he has experienced. He views painting as a way to communicate his emotions and experiences in an immediate and powerful manner. He talks of "punching" the paint on his surface, and the turbulence it creates grabs at the viewer, never quite letting go. Blood red backgrounds, angry and averted orange eyes, heavily outlined figures not able to stay within the confines of the canvas, are hallmarks of his style. I represented him for the next 5 years before he decided to go out on his own. Many of his earlier works are in my collection and this painting called "Almsman" (30" x 40"), a particularly strong example of his work, has come on the market again. More of his paintings can be seen at http://www.artbrut.com