ABOUT MATT BARAL

BIO

My focus is in fractal design, using wood as my primary medium. As a teen and young adult, my ability to work with fine detail led me to my first job in art, making jewelry for David Yurman. In college I fell in love with the sciences and pursued a career in medicine.

Eventually yearning for a more creative life, I started to pursue art again after discovering the science behind the human affinity for natural patterns, namely fractals. My work is based on identifying those recognizable patterns that originate in the forest, sky, ocean, flora, and fauna and bring them to view in public places.

I currently teach medical students about biophilia, biophilic design, and the research demonstrating additional health benefits from exposure to these patterns, both psychologically and physiologically. During my time in graduate school, I was fortunate enough to be hired for several large public commissions. I continue to pursue public sculpture opportunities as part of my development as a career artist. I fully commit to my projects and work closely with clients to produce successful results.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I see my work as tangible representations of thought. Repeating patterns found in the natural world are like previous iterations of time, evolving into the present moment. Our thoughts and ideas expand and change through time in the same manner. It is said that complexity can be made more accessible and understandable by imposing order and organization. To understand the world, we often subconsciously apply internal or external order to categorize, identify, and clarify.

I strive to identify and break down aesthetic pleasure into individual components and build upon them. Observing repeated patterns help us grasp the concept that subtle changes over time become magnified and serve as an allegory to moving through life as we experience cause and effect. I embrace the struggle of physical and mental labor behind repeated movements and asceticism required for this work. The process of learning for me is to trust the process itself as a part of my personal evolution as an artist.