Exhibitions

Matthew Whitney

A Line Amongst Other Lines

Matthew Whitney immerses himself in the poetics of walking. A Line Amongst Other Lines, presents a documents his walks through the streets of Seattle.

© 2015 Matthew Whitney, Movement Must Also Move (detail), Graphite, pastel on paper, 34 x 60 inches. Photo courtesy of the artist.
  • October 1 - 29, 2015
  • Opening: Thursday, October 1

Whitney’s large scale drawings – graphite, pastel and ink on paper- seek meaning in the space of movement. The work derives its content from walks recorded with GPS tracking apps on a smartphone. Recording his movements with this aide, the artist is able to write text or draw images onto the urban grid by the direct action of walking. He states “This process provides me a means of excavating how a line, understood as a point moving through space, can be a mark made on paper, a series of illuminated pixels, or a path made by walking.”

The foundations of this project are phenomenological discovery and investigation of socio-spatial relations. Walking, for Whitney, is a practice of movement and personal politics as well as a spiritual practice.


About the Artist

Matthew Whitney is a multidisciplinary artist and educator. He grew up in the Pacific Northwest and has lived in Seattle for the past 15 years. He received his BA in Art from Whitworth University and his MFA in Visual Art from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Whitney teaches art and technology courses for South Seattle College, Seattle Vocational Institute, and Northwest University. He lives and works in the Greenwood neighborhood and enjoys going for walks with his family.