Matthew Day Jackson’s diverse practice encompasses sculpture, painting, collage, photography, drawing, video, performance, furniture design, and installation art. The concept of connectivity is at the core of Jackson’s work. He investigates a wide range of philosophical, scientific, and historical themes that he interweaves with his personal narrative.
The artist employs intensive research and production processes to create objects that coincide with a reassembling of history. He views the combination of materials and references to disparate time periods as a metaphor for interconnectivity. His use of materials reflects the idea that our evolution is not only found within the slow adaptation of our bodies, but it is, “also present in the materials we use to express our humanity over time, the evolving process of the creation of society, and the performance of culture.”
Those who have shaped the cultural, social and political landscape in the United States, such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Buckminster Fuller, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and others, have been influential in the iconogaphic and conceptual basis for Jackson’s work. Accordingly, events that influenced the mythology of American exceptionalism—the Apollo 11 moon landing, development of the American West, and the dropping of the atomic bomb—are rendered to imagine alternate outcomes and suggest the inherent falsehoods contained within such a mythology.
Through referencing the cannon of art history, many of Jackson's works also examine the projection of human desires onto nature. For example in Archimboldo, Still Life with Flowers and Reclining Nude series Jackson investigates how artists have propagated mythologies of beauty throughout history. The still lifes — drawn from paintings made in the 17th century by Jan Brueghel the Elder and Younger, or the portraits inspired by Joos de Momper, are remade almost entirely from artificial materials. Central to Jackson’s practice is mythos of the artist’s hand as well as the temporality of the artworks themselves. The works are composites, incorporate images sourced from landscape photography and painting as well as his own photography, adapted using Photoshop and AI, and allowing for experimentation with artifice and reality.
For Jackson, the measurable and the inexplicable, power and sacrifice, mortality and the infinite are all part of a realm he has dubbed ‘the Horriful’, where everything we do has the potential to create both horror and beauty.
Matthew Day Jackson (b. 1974 in Panorama City, CA, US) lives and works in Brooklyn, NY (US). He received his BFA at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA (US) and his MFA at the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ (US). He has also studied at the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME (US) and obtained the NHRA Supercomp Dragster License at Frank Hawleys Racing School in Gainesville, FL (US).
Recent solo exhibitions include Counter-Earth, PACE, Seoul (KR); Against Nature, PACE, New York, NY (US); Waterfalls and Birds, Guesthouse, Wilson, WY (US) in 2021; Flowers, Windows and Thistles, Hauser & Wirth, Zurich (CH), Audubon in the Anthropocene: Works by Matthew Day Jackson, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (US) in 2020 and Pareidolia, GRIMM, Amsterdam (NL) in 2019.
His work can be found in the collections of international institutions such as Astrup-Fearnley Museum, Oslo (NO); Collezione Maramotti, Reggio Emilia (IT); Domus Collection, New York & Beijing (US, CN); High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA (US); Kunstmuseum, The Hague (NL); Museo d’Arte Moderna, Bologna (IT); Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA (US); Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam (NL); Pinault Collection, Paris (FR); Rosenblum Collection, Paris (FR); Rubell Museum, Miami, FL and Washington, DC (US); Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (NL); Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven (NL); Vanhaerents Art Collection, Brussels (BE); Whitney Museum for American Art, New York, NY (US) and Zabludowicz Collection, London (UK).
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Immortal Apples, Eternal Eggs
21 Sep 2024 - 16 Mar 2025 Hastings Contemporary (UK) -
My World
Curated by Hans den Hartog Jager 18 Sep 2024 - 12 Jan 2025Curated by Hans den Hartog Jager, My World features eight artists from within GRIMM's program: Charles Avery , Tjebbe Beekman , Saskia Noor van Imhoff , Matthew Day Jackson ,...Read more -
Matthew Day Jackson
Forest Through the Trees 13 Sep - 28 Oct 2023 GRIMM Keizersgracht 241, Amsterdam (NL) -
The Moon and I
13 Jul - 18 Aug 2023 GRIMM 54 White St, New York, NY (US) -
54 White Street | Inaugural exhibition
GRIMM's new gallery in Tribeca 20 Mar - 17 Apr 2021 GRIMM 54 White St, New York, NY (US)Join us in March 2021 for the grand opening of GRIMM's new space in Tribeca at 54 White Street. For more further information, please email info@grimmgallery.comRead more -
Matthew Day Jackson
Pareidolia 10 Oct - 17 Nov 2019 GRIMM Keizersgracht 241, Amsterdam (NL) -
Away in the Hill
Group Exhibition 27 Jun - 2 Aug 2019 GRIMM 202 Bowery, New York, NY (US) -
Matthew Day Jackson & Philippe Vandenberg
Nieuw Amsterdams Peil 23 Jun - 28 Jul 2018 GRIMM Keizersgracht 241, Amsterdam (NL) -
Pop-up GRIMM Brussels
Group Exhibition 18 Apr - 5 May 2018 Ravensteinstraat 44, Brussels (BE) -
Community Board
Group Exhibition 24 Nov 2017 - 20 Jan 2018 Frans Halsstraat 26, Amsterdam (NL) -
Matthew Day Jackson
Gunshot Plywood Bronze Works 9 Sep - 13 Oct 2017 GRIMM Keizersgracht 241, Amsterdam (NL) -
Matthew Day Jackson
Core and Strip 11 Apr - 30 May 2015 Frans Halsstraat 26, Amsterdam (NL) -
Huidige Zaken
Group Exhibition 5 Jun - 1 Oct 2014 Frans Halsstraat 26, Amsterdam (NL) -
Trieste
Group Exhibition 1 Feb - 15 Mar 2014 Frans Halsstraat 26, Amsterdam (NL) -
Matthew Day Jackson
Heel Gezellig 6 Oct - 20 Nov 2011 Frans Halsstraat 26, Amsterdam (NL) -
Heel Gezellig
Group Exhibition organised by Matthew Day Jackson 6 Oct - 20 Nov 2011 Keizersgracht 82 -
New Paintings
Group Exhibition 16 Jan - 6 Mar 2010 Keizersgracht 82 -
Matthew Day Jackson
Dynamic Maximum Tension 10 Oct - 21 Nov 2009 Keizersgracht 82
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Zürich Art Weekend Has Always Thrived From Its Proximity to Art Basel.
Naomi Rea, Artnet News , September 10, 2020 -
Matthew Day Jackson
Bill Arning, Flash Art, January 1, 2020 -
Art to hold humanity to account
Simon Ings, TLS, August 1, 2019 -
Veracht den burgerman, doch ledig zijne kruiken: Nieuw Amsterdams Peil 2018
Ton Kruse, Metropolis M, June 27, 2019 -
Matthew Day Jackson creates Kolho furniture using moon-inspired Formica
Ali Morris, Dezeen, April 10, 2019 -
Living Artists & Old Masters: Matthew Day Jackson
Skye Sherwin, Vanity Fair, October 4, 2018 -
INTO NATURE: OUT OF DARKNESS
Robin Barry, Mister Motley, August 19, 2018 -
Eigenlijk is het Drentse Frederiksoord al een kunstwerk op zich (in Dutch)
Anouk Boone, Trouw, August 10, 2018 -
Into Nature: 30 kilometer lange kunstroute langs natuur en cultuur (in Dutch)
Anna van Leeuwen, de Volkskrant, August 9, 2018 -
De boktor knaagt, de kunst bloeit (in Dutch)
Joyce Roodnat, NRC, July 18, 2018 -
Sculptuur en natuur verstrengeld (in Dutch)
Kester Freriks, NRC, July 5, 2018 -
Sculptuur is natuur in Drenthe (in Dutch)
Kester Freriks, NRC, July 5, 2018 -
Echte Van Goghs, alleen net een beetje anders
Edine Wijnands, BN De Stem, June 1, 2018 -
GRIMM Gallery presents the politically charged exhibition 'Community Board'
Artdaily, January 1, 2018 -
Community Board
Wall Street International, December 8, 2017 -
COMMUNITY BOARD
Art Bahrain, November 26, 2017 -
At Cornell Tech, Art Engineered for the Imagination
Hilarie M. Sheets, New York Times, September 13, 2017 -
Total Eclipse of the Art: Matthew Day Jackson Organized a Celestial-Themed Exhibition in Wyoming
Caroline Goldstein, Artnet news, August 21, 2017 -
Hauser & Wirth Will Screen Films on Its Roof in Chelsea This Summer
Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews, May 18, 2017 -
KHOL Interviews Artist Matthew Day Jackson
Jackson Hole Community Radio, August 8, 2016 -
Kunstverzamelaar schenkt ‘The Tomb’ aan Gemeentemuseum Den Haag (in Dutch)
Yannick Verberckmoes, De Volkskrant, December 15, 2015 -
Van privé naar publiek
Anne Berk, Financieel Dagblad, December 5, 2015 -
Reviews: Matthew Day Jackson
Jeffrey Kastner, Artforum, November 1, 2013 -
Ati Maier and Matthew Day Jackson
BOMB, October 31, 2013 -
Ati Maier and Matthew Day Jackson
BOMB, October 31, 2013 -
Matthew Day Jackson, Something Ancient, Something New, Something Stolen, Something Blue
Alexander Shulan, The Brooklyn Rail, October 3, 2013 -
The Artist With the Race Car in His Studio
Mark Healy, T Magazine, September 13, 2013 -
Matthew Day Jackson's Milestones
Allyson Shiffman, Interview, September 10, 2013 -
Matthew Day Jackson's New Paintings and Sculpture at Hauser & Wirth Gallery
Samuel Cochran, Architectural Digest, August 31, 2013 -
Matthew Day Jackson at MIT, 2009
Arts in MIT, February 14, 2012 -
Matthew Day Jackson with Charles Schultz
Charles Schultz, The Brooklyn Rail, July 11, 2011 -
Matthew Day Jackson
Ara H. Merjian, Art in America, May 27, 2011 -
Artists on the Verge of a Breakthrough
Karen Rosenberg, New York Magazine, May 1, 2011 -
Matthew Day Jackson
Graham T. Beck, Frieze, November 1, 2010 -
Matthew Day Jackson: Artist as Stuntman
Dorothy Spears, The HuffPost, October 18, 2010 -
Matthew Day Jackson
Marta Gnyp, Zoo Magazine, Issue 28, August 1, 2010 -
Matthew Day Jackson: Mens et manus
Bill Arning, Flash Art, January 1, 2010 -
Matthew Day Jackson
Lauren Ross, Museo, October 1, 2009
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Dynamic Maximum Tension
Matthew Day Jackson Authors: Dominic van den Boogerd, Matthew Day Jackson, Tom Morton
Design: AnyTime, 2010Hardcover, 80 pagesRead more
Publisher: GRIMM, Amsterdam (NL)
ISBN: 9081313738
Dimensions: 330 x 240 mm | 13 x 9.5 in -
in Search of...
Matthew Day Jackson Texts by: Gianfranco Maraniello, Martin J. Sherwin, Steve Pulimood
Design: Eleonora Concetti, 2011Hardcover, 264 pagesRead more
Publisher: Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bologna (IT)
ISBN: 8896296072
Dimensions: 24.5 x 17.5 cm | 9 5/8 x 6 7/8 in -
My World
Hans den Hartog Jager, Museum Singer Laren 2024Hardcover, 192 pagesRead more
Publisher: W Books, in collaboration with Museum Singer Laren
ISBN: 9789462586536
Dimensions: 30.5 x 24.5 cm -
The Immeasurable Distance
Matthew Day Jackson Authors: Bill Arning, Deborah Douglas, David Mindell, Tom Morton, David Tompkins
Design: Peter J. Ahlberg, 2010Hardcover, 100 pagesRead more
Publisher: MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, MA (US) | CAM Houston, TX (US)
Dimensions: 31 x 22 cm | 12 1/4 x 8 5/8 in -
Total Accomplishment
Matthew Day Jackson Essays by Jean Baudrillard, Andreas Beitin, Mick Broderick and others, 2014Hardcover, 424 pagesRead more
Publisher: DISTANZ, Berlin (DE)
ISBN: 3954760584
Dimensions: 300 x 235 mm | 11.8 x 9.3 in
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Matthew Day Jackson’s first exhibition in Finland, “Maa” at Serlachius Museum Gösta
Matthew Day Jackson May 1, 2019Matthew Day Jackson’s (b. 1974) exhibition Maa at the Serlachius Museum Gösta in Mänttä, and a role-playing game by the same name, imagine a post-apocalyptic...Read more -
“Into Nature” at Frederiksoord, Drenthe
Matthew Day Jackson July 1, 2018Matthew Day Jackson (b. 1974) is fascinated by history, especially the way we remember the past and bend it to our will. In doing so,...Read more