Last Friday, I took a friend with me to view the exhibition of Matthew Lutz’s newest work - Text Me currently showing at Matrix Fine Art. Lutz’s current body of work is influenced by modern technology and street graffiti, using traditional oil painting techniques to depict human interaction in the digital age which explains why at least one or more subjects in each painting is holding a cell phone. 
In Lutz’s paintings, we see elements of Cubism - where objects are broken up, analyzed, and reassembled in an abstracted form - instead of depicting his subject’s arms as complete with hands, Lutz breaks the continuity of the hands and places them somewhere else as seen in his Tommy @ 3 painting. In addition, Lutz especially admires the works of Pablo Picasso; elements like the elongated limbs, arresting colors, and mystical visages are evident in his paintings Tornado and Stand. 
This exhibition also includes Lutz’s Life Paintings, a body of work that underscores the impact that one person’s life, no matter how temporary or fragile, can have on others. Each piece projects flowers through the foreground, inviting the viewer into the image, into the subject’s life. Some of the people who have influenced Lutz’s own life are no longer alive, but painting a flower in full bloom has allowed him to capture a moment when they were in their splendor. According to Lutz, “The blossom itself dies long before the painting is complete, yet the image remains for others to see and admire. It’s the same with posterity - the positive impact of one person’s existence continues for future generations.”
Matthew Lutz is both an artist and educator. Born and raised in Indiana, he now has his home and studio in New Mexico. Lutz received his Bachelor’s degree in Art Education from Taylor University in 1996. He then spent a year in South Korea teaching and creating woodblock prints in his studio. In 2001, he entered the University of New Mexico, but his degree program and work was interrupted by a spinal injury. He earned his MFA with Distinction in 2005. Throughout his graduate program, Lutz was awarded numerous fellowships from both private and public funds.
Text Me - Paintings by Matthew Lutz will run through April 28th at Matrix Fine Art, 3812 Central Avenue SE, Suite 100 A, Albuquerque, NM 87108, (505) 268-8952, www.matrixfineart.com
