Biography

As a native of the Adirondack Mountain Region, my career as an artist has been molded by an unusually rural upbringing and access to the natural resources of upstate New York. Throughout my life I have been drawn towards the exploration of primordial environments. Through continual inquiry and engagement with wilderness –as site, as concept, and above all as experience—I have adopted painting as a means through which to engage in the non-sentient, as a device for seeking the objective access of structure and growth beyond human influence.

Matt Burnett with siblings Melissa and Keith at Duck Hole, the source of the Cold River in the Adirondack Mountains, 2007 [left]

My online catalogue summarizes these various pursuits, from the canvas paintings of the “Wilderness Portfolio” to my conceptual pursuits (“Natural Drawing”) and modular panel paintings (Index Paintings). In my recent efforts I have been combining my conceptual strategies with my design sensibilities, pursuing large scale architectural works and installations which range from dynamic privacy fences to illuminated ice structures and monumental sculptures. The launch of “Natural Solutions” signifies the recombination of my natural art and design sensibility with the world of interior design and environmental architecture. In addition to the continual pursuit of my own projects, I will be available for consultation with interior/exterior natural design needs.

A graduate of the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, I completed my graduate study in New Media and Cultural Theory at Maine College of Art. I am currently co-director of the Graphic and Multimedia Design program at SUNY Canton where I teach studio art, photography and design. My home studio is located in Saranac Lake, New York, in close proximity to the High Peaks region of the central Adirondacks. In addition to my art career, I have worked seasonally with the Department of Environmental Conservation as an Assistant Forest Ranger for ten years. My recent practice combines academic inquiry with field-work and site-specific practices, much of which is accomplished on location in the Adirondack Park. My extensive exhibition record includes solo shows and environmental events in New York and Maine; my work is included in collections across the country and internationally.

RESUMÉ – PRINT version [PDF file]