ALL OF MY EARLIEST MEMORIES ARE OF EXERCISING MY CREATIVITY.

I REMEMBER EXPLORING IN THE WOODS, I REMEMBER DRAWING PICTURES DURING RECESS.

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN WHAT I COULD MAKE OR WHAT I COULD TURN INTO SOMETHING ELSE OR HOW THINGS WORK.

IN SCHOOL, I WOULD ALWAYS KNOW THE ART TEACHER, AND REALLY KIND OF EXPLORING THE MEDIUM THAT THEY HAD AVAILABLE.

AND I THINK ALL KIDS HAVE THAT SPARK, AND IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHAT DIRECTION THEY POINT IT.

SO MY MOTHER WAS AN ARTIST, MY DAD WAS AN ARTIST.

I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT IT'S A PART OF WHO I AM.

I MAKE A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING, COMMERCIAL ART THAT'S PRETTY FOR A HOTEL OR HOSPITAL, AND THEN MY OWN KIND OF ART THAT I LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS LIKE "WHIMSICAL HORROR."

I WOULD ALWAYS WATCH HORROR MOVIES AS A KID, AND THAT WAS MY FIRST EXPOSURE TO MATERIAL USES, AND "OH, THIS ISN'T BLOOD.

IT'S KETCHUP," OR WHATEVER YOU TELL THE KIDS.

THAT CURIOSITY JUST KEPT GROWING.

I REALLY LOVE EXPLORING DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEDIUM TO JUST KEEP PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND ME BY MANIPULATING IT THROUGH AN IDEA AND KIND OF SEEING WHERE THAT GOES.

HE'S ONE OF THE MOST INVENTIVE EXPLORERS OF MATERIAL.

HE'S PRETTY FEARLESS ABOUT TOUCHING A MATERIAL AND FIGURING OUT WHAT IT CAN DO, ESPECIALLY WHAT IT'S NOT INTENDED TO DO.

SOMETIMES I'LL SEE SOMETHING THAT SOMEBODY DID AND I'M LIKE, "I BET I CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT."

AND I'LL MAKE MY OWN WAY JUST TO REVERSE ENGINEER SO THAT I KNOW HOW TO DO IT AND UNRAVEL THEIR MYSTERY.

I JUST KIND OF EXPERIMENT ALL THE TIME AND THEN YOU START TO STUMBLE UPON THE NEW WAY OF USING A MATERIAL.

AND I LOVE THAT, AND I COLLECT THOSE KIND OF IDEAS, THOSE TECHNIQUES.

THIS CAN DO THAT, BUT IT ALSO CAN DO THIS UNDER THESE CONDITIONS.

ALMOST LIKE A SCIENCE EXPERIMENT.

THIS WAS A REAL FRAME THAT I THEN ADORNED WITH THINGS AND SCULPTED LITTLE PARTS ON THERE AND PUT LITTLE OBJECTS.

AND IF I DO A GLYCERINE BATH, WHICH IS THAT BUCKET IN THE SINK, AND I SQUIRT IT IN THERE AND I KNEAD IT UNDER THE WATER, THEN IT CAUSES IT TO ACCELERATE THE CURE SO THEN I CAN USE IT LIKE A PUTTY.

I THINK THAT HE'S A TINKERER.

YOU KNOW, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE MAN TINKERS.

AND WHEN YOU GET AN ARTIST WHO TINKERS, YOU'RE GOING TO END UP WITH SOMETHING WILD AND IMAGINATIVE.

BUT HE PULLS YOU INTO HIS PLAYHOUSE.

HE PULLS YOU INTO HIS CREATIVITY.

ISN'T THAT FUN?

I THINK THE WAY MATT GREW UP, HE HAD A LOT OF TIME TO EXPLORE HIS SPACE FEARLESSLY, AND ESPECIALLY MATERIALS.

AND HAVING THE RESOURCES TO SORT OF PLAY WITH THAT OUT IN THE ENVIRONMENT, HE WOULD PICK UP GARBAGE FROM THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND GO TO THE DUMP AND FIND WAYS TO TURN THOSE THINGS INTO COOL STUFF.

I LIKE ANTIQUE STORES AND THRIFT STORES AND ESTATE SALES.

THOSE ARE SORT OF MY ART SHOPS.

IT'S LIKE TRYING TO FIND A PLACE FOR SOMETHING ONCE FORGOTTEN.

LIKE, OH, THIS IS BY THE WAYSIDE OR I DUG THIS OUT OF THE DUMP OR WHATEVER, AND NOW I'VE GIVEN IT A NEW LIFE.

ALL OF HIS STUFF IS A LITTLE CREEPY, BUT IT'S SO FUN.

LIKE YOU'VE GOT THESE LITTLE CREEPY BEARS BUT THEY'RE PINK.

AND THEN THERE'S FLOWERS ATTACHED!

YOU HAVE THIS DUALITY OF JUST THIS OBJECT AND THEN THEY HAVE THIS ENERGY SOMETIMES, LIKE IF IT'S AN ANTIQUE DOLL AND IT'S GOT A CREEPY LAZY EYE OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, IT INSTANTLY IS NIGHTMARE FUEL.

BUT THEN AT ONE POINT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS SO ADORED AND LOVED BY A CHILD, SO THAT IDEA I KIND OF LIKE.

THERE'S SO MUCH DUALITY IN OUR WORLD, AND MANY DIFFERENT THINGS.

AND THAT REPULSION, PUSH AND PULL, ATTRACTION AND REPULSION, PERMEATES MY WORK, AND ME.

MATT'S WORK USES ATTRACTION AND REPULSION TO REALLY GREAT EFFECT.

HE'S ABLE TO BRING YOU IN WITH REALLY COOL AND INTERESTING AND EVEN CUTE TEXTURES AND COLORS, BUT THE CLOSER YOU GET, YOU REALIZE THAT THERE ARE THESE THINGS INSIDE.

YOU DO GET CHALLENGED BY HIS WORK.

IT IS MAKING YOU THINK.

IT IS DEFINITELY OUTSIDE THE BOX.

AND IF YOU TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK AT IT, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A DIFFERENT SIDE OF HIMSELF AND A DIFFERENT SENSE OF ART.

FOR ME, THE THING THAT'S MOST INTERESTING ABOUT WORKING WITH MATT, AND AS A FRIEND, COLLABORATING WITH MATT AND JUST WATCHING HIM WORK, IS THE ENERGY HE BRINGS TO IT, THE GENUINE EXCITEMENT AND FERVOR WITH WHICH HE ATTACKS THE WORK.

I'M NOT NECESSARILY JUST MAKING WORK TO TRY TO SELL.

I'M MAKING WORK THAT MAKES ME FEEL PRODUCTIVE OR COMPLETE BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYWHERE BEFORE.

I FEEL LIKE IF I CAN JUST KEEP THAT SPARK GOING FOR AS LONG AS I CAN, THAT'S A SUCCESS TO ME.

AND MAYBE A LEGACY I CAN LEAVE FOR MY KIDS TO SAY, "MY DAD WAS SOMETHING, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS KIND OF WACKY AND GOOFY AND CRAZY, LOOK!

SOMEBODY RECOGNIZED THAT HE WAS DOING SOMETHING."

I THINK HE'S TOUCHED SO MANY PEOPLE'S LIVES WITH HIS ART, AND HE'S ENGAGING EVERYONE WHO ACTUALLY TAKES A MOMENT TO LOOK.

YOU GET A SECOND OF SOMEBODY'S TIME, AND HOWEVER THEY PERCEIVE IT, WHETHER IT'S WHAT YOU WANTED THEM TO OR NOT, THEY'VE STOPPED.

THEY'VE TAKEN A MINUTE TO LOOK AT YOUR WORK AND TO SEE IT FROM EVERY ANGLE.

I'VE KIND OF HAD THE GAMUT, A LOT OF DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES, AND GRAVITATE TOWARD THE ONES WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE PILE OF THINGS AND MAYBE SEE IT THE WAY I SEE IT, AS NOT JUST A FOUND OBJECT OR A BROKEN THIS OR A DIRTY THIS.

I DON'T REALLY PIGEON-HOLE PEOPLE INTO, "THIS IS WHAT THIS IS, AND IF YOU DON'T SEE THAT, THEN YOU JUST DON'T KNOW ART."

I FEEL LIKE THAT'S FOLLY.

SO YEAH, I DON'T KNOW.

IT'S NOT A FAILURE IF PEOPLE DON'T GET IT, OR EVEN IF THEY DON'T LIKE IT.

THAT'S OKAY, THAT'S OKAY.

SOMEBODY ELSE WILL LOVE IT, AND THAT'LL KIND OF EVEN THE SCORE, HEH!