Filmed @ M. Shane’s studio. Downtown Montreal.

Matt Shane – Painter
We asked matt a couple questions…

What if you could bring to life one of your paintings, a magical landscape. But one of your creepy rivals was allowed to populate the land with whatever creatures they choose. OR you have a triumphant massive art show, but no one buys anything and there is a fire destroying all your best work and you have no money for new work. Which would you choose and why?

Matt said he would choose to have a painting brought to life because he would know all the hiding places and could create a storm and wash every creature away. An arc situation.

Also we asked him: We understand painting’s meditative, you’re alone engaged in repetitive construction, is there a moment you remember, a moment, making all these paintings, one moment of pause or discovery you remember and hold on to, sticks with you?

He explained that he takes a long time working on one section, drilled down, he’s good at focusing for long periods of time, hours will pass. It’s only when he leaves his studio for a while, takes a break, comes back to the thing that he can see the painting as it is, shall be, a turning point of some panic and a loose letting of accident happen. It is a long & detailed process creating a giant painting. It’s in the last half hour of the night, just before he’s gonna pack up and go home, he said, that he’ll have a moment of discovery. Sublime turning points, titanic precipice. He says his challenge is to be less detailed, less controlling, less meticulous.

Is that a problem in your personal life?

In a sense… I forget that you have to do all manner of things… you have to go outside, see your friends, eat not pasta.

An image comes to mind of building up water behind a dam, breaks thru, rushes down mshane mountain.