Matt Herriot creates abstract paintings using oil on anodized aluminum under an approach he refers to as “studied difference.” His aim is to incorporate both repetition and surprise. What is repeated across the paintings does not stay the same; rather, it is an idea of a visual-material structure that itself is constantly changing, and thus manifests slightly differently in each work. The dual conditions of recognizing a consistent element in each painting while also experiencing subtle unfamiliarity fosters an enriching sense of discovery.

The making process involves applying layers of oil paint onto anodized aluminum sheets, and then progressively scraping back the surface using metal tools. This leaves a variety of types of residue from previous layers, creating a complex, multilayered space of light, color, and texture. The act of painting is not the visualization of his thoughts but rather a mode of cognition in itself. Starting each painting in the absence of an idea, every color chosen and brushstroke applied prompts another in response, ultimately taking each painting in its own direction until a new picture emerges. The painting process thereby generates the idea. This improvisational approach creates inexhaustible possibilities from a finite range of material choices, resulting in a group of paintings that all share a common thread while each displaying a new expression of color, light, and structure. Such a fine-tuned balance of similarity and difference, of expectation and surprise, rewards the slow, attentive eye with a sustaining energy.