A Day in the Life: Matthew Stone

Matthew Stone and May Anderson
 
Hi! I’m Matthew Stone, a friend of Karley’s from London. We lived together in the ‘lift factory’ squat in Walworth that predates Squallyoaks (which I opened). I somehow managed to escape quite a lot of embarrassing outings of my life on early Slutever, but you can see me breaking my arm with Karley in this spoof Madonna video we made here.  I’m an artist and about a month ago I went to Miami Art Basel to install a series of sculptures that were displayed at the Mondrian hotel. Karley came along for the ride. I use photography in the artworks I make, but I also shoot loads of more casual images that don’t really go anywhere. Karley has always said I should do something with them online, so I have started a Tumblr for them called infinitytimesinfinity (∞ x ∞) . This guest post is a sort of launch for it. The photos below are from more than one day in my life in Miami, but Karley said that was OK! I have also included some conversations I  had with some of the people in the photographs. Please click the links! I think that conversation is a great artform. Really good conversation not only changes the lives of those involved, it can change the world.

The first night we arrived in Miami we had no car, so we waited outside the house for a cab that took over an hour to arrive. I found a fallen coconut in the street and bashed it open on a rock, it kept us going until the taxi came and then we went for Mexican food.

This is one of a pair of works I installed at The Hole gallery booth at the NADA art fair. Kathy Grayson who runs the space decided to have two identical twin booths next to each other with similar or ‘twinned’ works in each, so that visitors double took as they mindlessly trod their way around the fair. Wake up! You’ll see the identical twins that manned the booth later on.

This is Kathy meditating on what to install.

This is the garden for the house that The Hole booked for all the artists, helpers, internet band members and hangers-on to stay in. It was beautiful and right on the bay. On the first day I saw dolphins pass by. I worked on the construction of the sculptures here with Jon (pictured).

This is the moment where we finished the first sculpture. They are made from plywood, hinges and screws. I design them on a 3D computer program and then map the photos to the shapes on each side. I then have the wood printed and cut using a computer controlled router. They arrive flatpacked and I put them together (with help) using hinges. The hinges are amazing; they sort of do the geometrical thinking and work out all the complex angles for me.

Sculpture number two! We made seven in total, they are about 7-8 feet high. I like the idea of solid structures that appear to pass through each other and #occupy the same space. I feel like people do that with each other without realising.

This is Jon and Jorge, they also run The Hole with Kathy and basically work harder than anyone you have ever met. I can’t think of a way to thank them enough for the energy they have put into my work in the last couple of months. <3

Jeanette Hayes (center) is an important BBM artist. She designs really elaborate custom BBM names and artworks for her friends. I bought one from her for $20, thus establishing the market for Blackberry Messenger artworks.

This is me, Gareth Pugh, Daphne Guiness & Carson McColl at the dinner we had at the Mondrian. It was really fancy. Gareth and I have been friends since we were in student accommodation together. We have always worked together and I still make music for his fashion shows.

This is Dee and Ricky! They are the cute identical(?) twins who worked the Hole booth(s) at the Nada fair. I fancy one of them. They are really creative and have their own business making jewellery and run a pop-up restaurant in Brooklyn.

Mavi Staiano & Jack Donoghue

9:45PM (The Mondrian Hotel, Miami)
Karley :  High five on life!!
Mavi : Fun forever!
Matthew : Are we just getting happier in general or is it a 2012 thing?
Mavi : I think its a 2012 thing.
Matthew : Sometimes I feel like I am so happy that I’m actually about to explode. I have to consciously imagine my entire body bursting into a cloud of liquid. Its like if I don’t visualize it, it might really happen. Part of me wouldn’t mind if it did. Its a body nostalgia, I just bounce around like a pinball between these feelings of fear, excitement and utter limitlessness.
Karley : That’s nice.

May Anderson, Jeanette Hayes, Fabiola Beracasa & Karley ‘Slutever’ Sciortino. Bitches on  the left and honeys on the right.

4:00PM (Poolside, The Standard Hotel, Miami)
Piper : If the 90’s were all about air quotes, then this generation is absolutely the hashtag.
Mavi : We do it with our fingers.
Matthew: Haha.. you can do both with your fingers!! From airquotes into the #…
Mavi: #ashtag!!
Matthew: Don’t say it out loud! Say it with your fingers. Wait!! Its not generation-X or gen-Y or whatever anymore…. Its Generation-# ahaha!!

Salem stayed in The Hole house and played two gigs. John, Jack and Heather.

This was when The Hole presented Salem at the Delano Hotel. They played on the edge of the pool as you can see. Lots of people said it was the best party of the week.

They rented two strippers who danced/made out/had sex  in the pool while Salem played.

Jeanette, Derek Blasberg & Jack Donoghue living it up.

Hot mess.

Sexual in the back of a cab.

This guy fell asleep in Le Baron. The guy pinching his nose is Benjamin Moreau, he wanted a copy of this photo so he could blackmail the sleeping guy.

This is Cyprien Gallard. Apparently I was rude to him when I was drunk. This is what Karley and my friend Tea had to say about him once.

Blue steel.

Alex Shulan, Jack Donoghue & Jeanette Hayes.

3:34 AM (Upstairs bedroom, 1116, 88th St, Miami Surfside)
Jack : (Mumbles) This is self-control. (Playful punch) WAKE UP! …………….. What are dreams?
Matthew : Sometimes they are a way of processing what has happened in the day and other times they are journeys to other worlds.
Jack : Do you really believe that? I never dream. (Gets into bed)
Matthew : Yes you do.
Jack : Everyone says that, but I don’t.
Matthew : Sometimes I have dreams that I feel like I remember, but I can’t actually imagine a single word or image to describe them. Its just a full and totally abstract feeling.
But somehow it feels like all the details are still there. …. Maybe thats what happens if you travel in a dream to a place beyond all worldly recognition. Do you know what I mean?
Jack: Yeah.

Body pile.

Cute.

2:12PM (The Beach, Miami)
Mavi : OMG!! MATTHEW I HAVE TO TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED IN THE TAXI!!:

Mavi recounts:
Jeanette : Sir, would you mind picking me up again in an hour to take me to the airport?
Taxi driver : No it’s not possible.
Jeanette : Please sir, i don’t know how to find another taxi here.
Taxi driver : No I can’t it’s not possible, I can’t take you.
Mavi : That’s not true! Can I just say something please? Stop the car! Turn the radio off! (Straight, earnest face, direct eye contact with driver.) Everything is possible and love changes everything.
Taxi driver : (Pauses, trys to look annoyed, gives up, bursts out laughing) OK, I’ll pick you up in an hour. .

Matthew : That’s amazing!!
Mavi : You taught me that.
Matthew : What? Everything is possible?
Mavi : And love changes everything.
Matthew : No I didn’t, its just true!

EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE AND LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING.

Comments

Comments

11 Replies to “A Day in the Life: Matthew Stone”

  1. Great post Matt. These photos are great and so is the tumblr. Jon and Jorge look so cute!

    I love that I know them and get intern for them. So glad The Hole peeps are being represented on Slutever (p.s. Karley, I love everything you write on this site. please, come to the Hole Shop anytime so I can meet you/gush in person).

  2. Matthew seems like he’s the sweetest. That he described how he does his work shows a lack of pretension. Your work is beautiful, all the best!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *