(Tacoma, Washington, 1975- )
Lives and works in Berlin, Germany
Matt Saunders is interested in the performance
aspects of contemporary human behavior. He would argue that the overbearing
dominance of cinema and television in contemporary culture is such
that human beings behave as if they are acting a part, rather than
living a life. More than that, Saunders thinks the films we are living
out are overly sentimental, sappy and maudlin. Against this basic
understanding of contemporary life, Saunders makes paintings, drawings
and video works that look at those moments when the performances
break down; when people slip and momentarily lose their roles. His
work also talks about the moment when screen actors and other celebrities
slip from their public roles and accidentally become mere people,
as in this portrait of the German filmaker Rainer Werner
Fassbinder. |
