Barlow Myers in conversation with Matthew Douglas April 2011
Matthew Douglas removing the mirrored tint from the windows of his nelson street studio, prior to its opening as galleri
Barlow Myers : When did the idea for galleri first emerge ?
Matthew Douglas : It was in 2003 when I began making work in abandoned places. It was a reaction to a lack of spaces to make work and conduct the type of reactionary site based research I was doing at the time. galleri grew out of this frustration, I could see work existing in many forms : physically in real spaces, theoretically in interview form and digitally on a website. galleri pulled all these things together.
Galleri was always going to be nomadic and transient, since this is the way I naturally operate, New places, new people, environment and situations challenge me so this project will migrate , expand contract depending on many factors.
BM : You mentioned interviews, why is dialogue so important to galleri ?
MD : It is important to me, my work, my research, galleri and everything beyond it, I find that interviews can be the most direct way of accessing the central notions of a practitioners activities, it is a very revealing process and provides a lasting resource. Besides, conversation, dialogue, the exchange of ideas is an important part of our development. When two poeple begin an exchange something is created that would never exist otherwise. It is much more than the sum of its parts. When the conversation stops, the ideas stop progressing and without the idea we have nothing.
BM : Why has galleri found a form in bristol ?
MD : Its a combination of many things. Distancing Tactics at 204 gave me the opportunity to explore dialogue in relation to site, this rekindled the idea for galleri.
BM : but why not London ? since you studied Fine Art and Visual Theory in the east end, there must have been a desire to establish somewhere in the capital rather than in a regional city
MD : I find the idea of regional art rather confusing, London is a hotbed but it is frenzied, it reached saturation point decades ago, the energy just wasn’t right for galleri. I have found that Bristol provides a positive escape for London artists. There is a degree of peace and movement that has been likened to places like copenhagen. Although Bristol has a large population of artists and creative people, there is no platform for emerging contemporary artists here. Spike Island provides a good resource but its gallery is hallowed ground, the Arnolfini has a certain agenda and is a closed door unless you get selected for certain public projects. So it seems to have sprung from all these things.
BM : You talk about emerging art what do you mean by this exactly ? why does it interest you ?
MD : I’m interested in emerging art as this is where new energy comes from, where new ideas and research are at their most interesting, it is something that should be tapped. I suppose emerging art is work that is in stage of transformation, often artists who have established a practice but are still grappling with their underlying ideas and vice verser.
BM : what do you mean by new energy ?
MD : I think it is related to an accelerated movement at the moment, movement and change in economics, politics etc. and individuals are reacting accordingly. Artists are finding themselves in uncharted territory and this is a positive interesting thing. The idea that art can change the world is absurd, but the idea that you can exact change on a small scale is absolutely possible. The acceleration in change that are happening now are the results of small scale movements happening all the time.
BM : but this idea is not new, it repeats itself, like modernism or renaissance or smaller gestures like abstract expressionism, Anti Form.. do you think this is any different ?
MD : its not new, but it is different, I’m convinced that the speed at which change happens through digital communication has alienated many people but liberated many others. Thirty years ago change was detectable, it could be defined by many factors and traced, but now everything can be superseded even before it is completed. Nothing can be treated as permanent or lasting in this climate and I’m sure it will only get faster.
BM : ( laughs ) your environmental concerns seem to be the elephant in the room
MD : ( laughs ) you are right . there is a certain anxiety about sustainability, a zeitgeist, it is impossible to ignore the fact that food, water, resources are not sufficient, and that this change is happening because there is a necessity for it, we cannot help but be part of it. it is awareness that is crucial, much art seems to react to change, but like I mentioned earlier, the work that is made is actually small parts of a much bigger movement. I am interested in the idea that we are all part of this progression.
BM : do you think this why galleri has finally emerged ? to investigate this phenomenon ?
MD : perhaps to participate and investigate it, yes.
