MATTHEW BORGEN

Male Gazing

2024 -

The one-of-a-kind digital prints that make up the series “Male Gazing” offers a sardonic look at white male archetypes within popular western culture in order to examine how these characterizations fit, or more frequently do not fit, into our contemporary cultural discourse.

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Side Eye (2024) 12" x 12" [SOLD]

Male Gaze (2024) 41" x 100"

Davy, Davy Crocketts (2024) 34” x 60”

Don't Fence Me In (2024) 26" x 96"

"Sorry Pal ... I've Got to Do This" (2024) 20" x 18 1/2"

Why Do You Keep Hitting Yourself (2024) 20" x 20"

Hercules Against the Rocket Ship (2024) 22 3/4" x 41 1/2"

Assault on the Future (2024) 26" x 38"

Flight From the Future (2024) 20” x 22 3/4”

Dud (2024) 20” x 27 3/4”

Orchestrated Attack (2024) 20" x 20"

Ways of Seeing (2024) 20" x 22"

Mostly They Made Love From Ten Miles Away for John Prine (2024) 12” x 20”

Mansplaining or The Little Lady (2021) 12” x 14”

Thirst Trap 2 (2024) 20” x 13”

How’s The View (2024) 22 1/2” x 16”

Falling Down: Brown Suit (2022) 12” x 12” [SOLD]

Scared White Man in Tuxedo (2024) 12” x 12”

White Man in Green Suit Falling (2024) 12” x 12”

Falling Down: Green Suit (2022) 12” x 12” [SOLD]

Scared White Man in Red Suit on Ground (2024) 12” x 12”

Scared White Man in Purple Smoking Jacket (2024) 12” x 12”

White Man in Blue Suit Falling (2024) 12” x 12”

White Man in Green Suit Cowering (2024) 12” x 12”

White Man In Green Jacket Falling (2024) 12” x 12”

Hey Leggo (2024) 12” x 12”

Scared White Man Grasping Neck (2024) 12” x 12”

Scared White Man Dropping Briefcase (2024) 12” x 12”

Scared White Man in Green Suit and Purple Shirt (2024) 12” x 12” [SOLD]

Scared White Man with Gun (2024) 12” x 12”

Scared White Man in Overalls (2024) 12” x 12”

White Man Drawing Back in Terror (2024) 12” x 12”

White Man in Yellow Socks Falling (2024) 12” x 12”

White Man in Yellow Shirt Falling (2024) 12” x 12”

Scared White Man in Green Trenchcoat (2024) 12” x 12”

Love and Other Unexplained Phenomena

2019-

A Moment’s Peace (2021) 23” x 18”

If Looks Could Kill (2021) 20 1/2” x 28”

Things are Heating Up (2019) 20” x 28”

What is Love? (2020) 19” x 13”

Can This Be Anything Other Than Love (2020) 19” x 13”

The Stand-In (2020) 18”x18”

From the Earth to Lovers’ Lane (2019) 22” x 28”

A Dream to Kiss On (2019) 20 1/2” x 13 1/2”

______ White Men

2020-

Insert adjective here.

Whoso Pulleth Out This Recliner (2022) 32” x 42”

Privilege (2020) detail

Privilege (2020) 26 1/2” x 60”

White Man in Blue Suit Cowering (2022) 15” x 15”

Hypnic Jerk (2021) 12” x 50”

Vestige (2021) 13” x 39”

Nervous (2021) 20” x 14”

Mansplaining or The Little Lady (2021) 12” x 14”

The Bystanders (2021) 38” x 36”

The Trophy Room (2020) 29” x 36”

Intimate No. 1 (2020) 11” x 17”

At One with the Cosmos (2019) 31 1/2” x 36”

Through a Glass

2019-

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

1 Corinthians 13:12

Adventures Into the Unknown No. 16 (2020) 16” x 11”

A Moment of Self Awareness (2019) 24” x 36”

Facing Reality (2019) 28” x 19 1/2”

Affirmation (2019) 29” x 27”

A Moment of Insecurity (2019) 25” x 29”

The Message (2019) 25” x 35”

Daydream (2019) 43” x 39”

Pain of Glass (2019) 22” x 24”

Insomnia (2020) 21” x 24”

Bullet Trajectory Compositions

Bullet Trajectory Composition 4 (2022) 29” x 30”

Bullet Trajectory Composition 1 (2016) 42" x 60

Bullet Trajectory Composition 2 (2016) 42" x 65"

Bullet Trajectory Composition 3 (2017) 56" x 80"

Odd Ends

2019-

The Gardener (2020) 60” x 40”

Fierce (2019) 27 1/2” x 19”

The Forest Through the Trees (2020) detail

The Forest Through the Trees (2019) 20” x56”

Two Strangers Passing in the Night (2019) 23” x 28”

The Letter (2020) 24” x 24”

Comic Spatial Analysis

(2013 - Present)

Comic Spatial Analysis explores the possibilities inherent in sequential art when the structure is divorced from the responsibility of maintaining a coherent narrative thread.

To create these images I remove individual 1930s and 40s era comics panels from their normal linear sequences and recombine them utilizing alternative strategies of organization.

Palindrome in Red (2022) 9” x 37”

Room Expansion #7 (2021) 9” x 40”

The Device (2018) 44" x 44"

Entrance Exit (2018) 60" x 38"

The Neighborhood (2017) 24" x 94"

America Today, Yesterday, Never (2016) 33" x 60"

Cop Kaleidoscope (2016) 33" x 36"

Room Expansion #6 (2015) 13.5" x 42.5"

Room Expansion #11 (2016) 16" x 45"

The Skyman (2015) 30" x 28"

"Most of it is!" (2014) 42" x 60"

"Most of it is!" (2014) 42" x 60" installation view

Installation view of Comic Spatial Analysis, Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster, New Jersey (2017)

Doubled Over (2015) 19" x 38"

America Today, Yesterday, Never: Labor 1 (2016) 44" x 50"

Wonder Where These Stairs Go (2016) 25" x 36"

Blue (2016) 7" x 42"

Blue Cape Red Cape (2015) 7" x 19"

Other People

2020-

So this is hell. I'd never have believed it. You remember all we were told about the torture-chambers, the fire and brimstone, the "burning marl." Old wives' tales! There's no need for red-hot pokers. Hell is—other people!”

Jean-Paul Sartre, No Exit

The Struggle (2020) detail

The Struggle (2020) 46” x 138”

Faces in a Crowd (2020) 20” x 17”

Boxed In (2020) 25” x 36”

Wall Installations

(Proposed) Exquisite Corpses: Self Love (2019) 81” x 30”

(Proposed) Exquisite Corpses: Filling Out That Suit (2019) 70” x 38”

Equisite Corpses: The Origin of All Poems (2019) 72" x 67" from “Dreams of Heroes and Monsters”

(left to right) Exquisite Corpses: Parent Earth and Exquisite Corpses: Scavenger (2019) 84" x 72" from “Dreams of Heroes and Monsters”

Exquisite Corpses: Arena (2019) 48” x 72” and Exquistie Corpses: Diety (2019) 16” x 36” from “Dreams of Heroes and Monsters”

The Thread (2019) 101” x 90” from “Dreams of Heroes and Monsters”

The Thread (2019) 101” x 90” detail from “Dreams of Heroes and Monsters”

The Thread (2019) 101" x 90" detail from “Dreams of Heroes and Monsters”

A Place of Many Groans (2018) 12' x 21' from “Spirits Walking in Darkness”

“Without Stones There is No Arch” (2018) 119" x 84" from “Entrances and Exits”, InLiquid Gallery, Crane Art Center

“Without Stones There is No Arch” (2018) detail 119" x 84" from “Entrances and Exits” InLiquid Gallery, Crane Art Center

Flying Falling (2015) dimensions variable from “Comic Spatial Analysis” Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster, New Jersey

Flying Falling (2015) dimensions variable detail from “Comic Spatial Analysis” Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster, New Jersey

Explosion / Expulsion (2017) dimensions variable from “Cities in the Sky” Barbara Crawford Gallery

Choruses

2019

A part of a song that is repeated after each verse.

A large organized group of singers.

Chorus: Sisyfuses (2019) detail.

Chorus: Sisyfuses (2019)

Causes and Effects (2020) 32” x 43”

Up, Up and Away (2020) detail

Up, Up and Away (2020) 16” x 60”

No One’s Coming (2020) detail

No One’s Coming (2020) 8” x 42”

Dreams of Heroes and Monsters

(2019)

The prints created for this exhibition contain imagery combining plot and character archetypes from mid-twentieth century popular media with works from the western art historical canon whose subjects derive from the study of the subconscious, the whim of fantastical indulgence, or the retelling of Christian mythology.

These mergers are intended to approximate the internal logic of dreams ― a mental space in which seemingly disparate or contradictory imagery hold greater license to interact.

The purpose of generating such a space is to foster a discussion concerning the inherent failure of these time-worn visual symbols to accurately describe our shared reality ― a phenomenon more broadly understood as the application of more decentralized and inclusive models for understanding and interpreting, culture, science, and history steadily increases.

Covenantland (detail) Mary, Mary, Mary

Covenantland (detail) Temptation in the Wilderness

Covenantland (detail) Holy Ground Zero

Covenantland: Mary, Mary, Mary / Temptation in the Wilderness / Holy Ground Zero (2019) 54" x 126"

Installation view of (left to right) Exquisite Corpses: Parent Earth, Exquisite Corpses: Scavenger, and Covenantland, all (2019)

(left to right) Exquisite Corpses: Parent Earth and Exquisite Corpses: Scavenger (2019) 84" x 72"

Installation view of (top to bottom) Exquisite Corpses: Arena (2019) and Exquistie Corpses: Diety (2019)

Exquisite Corpses: Deity (2019) 22" x 24" x 22"

Installation view of (left to right) Exquisite Corpses: The Origin of All Poems (2019), Wonder Where These Stairs Go (2019), and Modos De Volar (Ways of Flying) for Francisco Goya (2019)

Equisite Corpses: The Origin of All Poems (2019) 72" x 67"

Wonder Where These Stairs Go (2019) 42" x 34"

Modos De Volar (Ways of Flying) for Francisco Goya (2019) 25" x 36"

Installation view of The Thread (2019) and Horizons (2019)

Detail, The Thread (2019) 101" x 90"

Horizons (2019) 12" x 60"

Spirits Walking in Darkness

(2018)

This series embraces the well-worn plot and character tropes that permeate early twentieth century comic books and uses them to comment on issues within the current political and cultural discourse.

The "Explorers", the astronauts who manifest in many of these works, are intended to serve as a narrative device similar to the characters Dante and Virgil in Inferno, differing in the fact that they are depicted without reference to race or gender.

Just as with Inferno, this exhibition chronicles the journey through an allegorical hellscape - though the characters and terrains are distinctly American.

Stars, Stripes, Styx, and Stones (2018) detail, center panel

Stars, Stripes, Styx, and Stones (2018) 34" x 102 1/2"

A Place of Many Groans (2018) 12' x 21'

Inferno #45 "Buried in the Sand" (2018) 22 3/4" x 29 1/4"

Inferno #11 "The Spent Statues" (2018) 22 3/4" x 29 1/4"

Creatures From the White Lagoon (2018) 22 3/4" x 33 1/2"

Usual Tales #500 "There Goes the Neighborhood" (2018) 22 3/4" x 29 1/4"

A Picture Story of the United States "Pledge of Allegiance" (2018) 22 3/4" x 15 1/2"

"Adventures Into the Unknown #43 "The Unwitting Artist" (2018) 22 3/4" x 15 1/2"

Cities in the Sky

(2017)

This project explores humanity’s ongoing pursuit of an ideal society – and the subsequent problems that arise when differing versions of this vision inevitably collide.

These conflicts are made manifest in this exhibition utilizing science fiction’s time-honored strategy of making the metaphorical literal.

“Cities in the Sky” tells the story of two groups. The Astronomers seek to understand the world through those phenomena that can be observed and measured. The Believers view their existence through the scrim of their ancient spiritual teachings.

The narrative reveals what happens when they both leave their homes in order to explore a city floating in the clouds, rumored to contain the evidence that will confirm all that they understand concerning existence and reality.