Every so often you come across a show that draws you in, makes you laugh and achieves artistic vision.  Matthew Doubek's "Comfort in Strangers" achieves all three.  The pieces are large works that personify people we would meet on the street, in the coffee shop and all around town.  When I walked into the gallery I was taken by the familiarity of the work.  It felt like it was built on the foundation of the work done by colossal artist Al Hirschfeld.  The use of line in Matthew's work is prevalent and yet the color and the use of mixed media brings these characters to life.

I had the opportunity to speak with the artist who is as engaging as the work.  He talked about wanting to create even larger pieces than the one's on display but for now the size of his studio is the limiting factor.  I too would love to see these gigantic personalities get bigger because their individual personalities shine through.  It is one of the most interesting shows Pirate Gallery has had in a number of months. 

Matthew was telling me about some of the materials used in these personable creations.  He told me that there is a lot of Christmas wrapping paper incorporated into the work.  I love the use of common materials yielding extraordinary results.  If you want to see some great art, meet a charming artist and wonder about who else you might meet as Matthew travels this road then check out this show.

Here's to meeting new friends...
Greg