36 August-September 2019 / http://www.outdoorpainter.com
nglishartistMatBarberKennedy
knowsthatwornandweathered
subjectstellthebeststories.He’s
beendrawntotheaging,decaying
partsof buildingsforas longas he
canremember.“I thinkthelifeof a city,of a cul-
ture,of a familyora business,is revealedinthe
waysthatourstructuresage,”hesays.Fornearly
30 yearshe’schanneledhisappreciationforthe
used nature of what he sees into art. “In some
senseI thinkmyworkis a kindof portraiture
hopingtorevealmorethanjusttheappearance
of things,butrevealing something of the life of
things,”hesays.
THEARTINADAPTABILITY
Anarchitect’sson,Kennedybegantoshift
towardfineartwhilestudyingarchitectureat
theUniversityof Sheffieldandthenat theRoyal
College of Art in London. “I started to explore
myideasaboutarchitecturethroughpaint,
collage,andmixedmedia,”hesays.Whileother
studentsconcernedthemselveswithhowthey
couldprotectthepristinequalityof whatthey
designed,Kennedywasexcitedat thethought
of howoccupantsandthepassageof timemight
affectandchangethestructures.“Tomeit was
allabouthowpeopleadapt,”hesays.“Wereno-
vate,repairdamage,andredecorate.Thepassing
of the seasons and the touching of a door handle
ElementsofwearandtearinMatBarberKennedy’stexturalwatercolorsshow
signsoflifeandhowweliveit.
——— BY STEFANIE LAUFERSWEILER ———
BETTER WITH TIME
MAT BARBER KENNEDY