Peggy

Matt Bilfield

In the framework of the television graphics that I create, I noticed that it was always the image that constantly changes as the viewer watches, inactively. When it comes to art, my inclination drives me toward creating pieces where the vantage point dictates the image, in turn activating the viewer. Where the television screen has the plastic framework as its boundary, I wanted to extend that boundary to the dimensions of the room itself. My idea was that everyone seeing the art gets to have his or her own unique perspective.

I imagined a more active art medium without guidelines and boundaries. Soon I conceived of the platform in which to realize my ultimate union of both graphics and fine art.

The first piece in this series entitled “Peggy” was constructed over the course of five months. The 7 foot by 3 foot result is comprised of 2788 hand cut, sanded, and painted wooden dowels that when placed in a grid of holes, form an image based on the painting by Roy Lichtenstein entitled, “M-maybe.” The effect this creates depending on where the viewer stands in proportion to the density of the thousands of small wooden droplets of color is the continuous experience that I was searching for.