Bay Area based artist Mathew Mcgrath has always had an innate curiosity and attraction to the creative process. Born 1972 in VeronA New Jersey. in adolescence mathew gravitated towards the 1980’s hip hop, Skateboarding and punk scenes’. As a sponsored skateboarder mathew boarded a greyhound bus and went to California to find gold. Mr. Mcgrath made his way to San Francisco landing a job at Real skateboards.. This led to His being employed as the first manager and buyer for the newly opened supreme skate shop in New York City. At supreme Mathew was immersed in the downtown skate scene and credits his Time in NYC in the early 90s as formative in both his aesthetic and future practice. Mathew returned to san Francisco to shoot, direct and produce some of the classic skate videos of the 1990s. Mathew went on to become fellow skateboarder and artist Mark Gonzales’ studio assistant in San Franciscos tenderloin. “Mark gave me space to work in the basement of his studio, I had been collecting ‘garbage’ and found objects in my daily travels for many years. It was in this studio space I began to create my found object assemblage and collage pieces.” Mr. Mcgrath currently designs and installs living works of art under his moniker farallongardens.com.

Turning Garbage into Gold

In my practice, I explore the alchemical nature of Creativity. With the belief that beauty and meaning can be unearthed from the most unlikely sources, I Believe used and discarDed objects possess the energy of use and utility they once served. My abstract compositions are meant to Evoke a sense of painterly beauty and Transmit a Touch of sympathetic magic .

Just as the alchemists of old sought to transform base metals into precious ones, I see my role as an artist in a similar light. By gathering discarded fragments from our environment, from forgotten machinery to discarded household items, I carefully select each element to reimagine its purpose. Through a combination of intuition, experimentation, and Aesthetic appreciation , these objects undergo a metamorphosis, transcending their original utilitarian intentions.

The transformation of discarded objects into objects of aesthetic allure challenges the notion of worth and beauty. I aim to spark a dialogue about consumerism, waste, and our relationship with the Everyday ubiquitous objects that both define and confine us.