Demond Matsuo
Fascinated by exotic mythologies and informed by both the masters of Dutch mannerism and the flowing forms of Japanese painting, Demond Matsuo (or as friends and fans alike know him, “Demond”) creates exquisite collages that express the workings of the subconscious mind. “I’m making combinations of fractured ideas and putting them together to create new ideas,” he explained, crediting his twin passions for ancient mythology and video games for shaping the fantastical creatures that float above the black backgrounds of his canvases. Although he is a painter first, Demond loves collage for the ability it gives him to transform discarded materials from a series of disparate and disconnected objects, into a fully realized idea—in much the same way our minds draw upon many disparate thoughts and experiences to arrive at an understanding of the world that surrounds us. “Initially when I did art, it was like alchemy to me because I was starting out with trash, and turning it into gold,” explained the artist, who studied art at LSU but credits the Baton Rouge artists’ collective 200 Government with having taught him much of what he knows. In Demond’s hands, scraps of patterned paper, and simple elements such as salt and iodine, evolve into delicate flowers, leaping deer, armored war horses, and the rippling fabrics of a geisha’s robes. The result: magical creatures that seem capable of stepping out of the enchanted realm of memory, and joining us in the here and now.
Demond Matsuo lives in Baton Rouge, where he is represented by Ann Connelly Fine Art. See more at annconnelly.com or demondmatsuo.com.
This month, Matsuo will be profiled in LPB’s Art Rocks, the weekly showcase of visual and performing arts hosted by Country Roads publisher James Fox-Smith, on Friday, May 10 at 8:30 pm and Saturday, May 11 at 5:30 pm across the LPB network. lpb.org/artrocks.
