The Stuff he loves

Australian-born, London-based artist Matt Jukes (44) creates abstract monoprints of forgotten landscapes and misremembered places. Entwined with the idea of memory, Matt’s artworks expose the layering of his process-led style.

Matt’s work is both meditative and nostalgic, he reimagines landscapes through an emotional response, and transforms them into something far off yet evocative and familiar.

We have worked with Matt to create a limited edition print for Glen Dye.

What’s the best place that you’ve visited and what did you love about it?

The best place I have visited is where the skies are huge, and the horizon line goes on forever. White clouds with little grey spots are scattered though the perfect gradient of deep blues. This was the space where I felt most connected to the world, these were the road journeys of my childhood across the countryside of rural Victoria in Australia. 

If a push comes to a shove, what’s your favourite album of all time?

I’ve often rehearsed my appearance on Desert Island Discs, imagining how I would answer Lauren Laverne’s questions about the records which shaped my life. I have noticed that as my life has shifted and moved, so has what has filled my headphones. From Faith by the Cure to Kid A to by Radiohead to Turn on the Bright Lights by Interpol, these records all define a moment and a place, so it feels almost like a Herculean Task to narrow it down to one record. But if push came to shove, I would have to say Loveless by My Bloody Valentine; for every time I listen I hear something new and I fall in love with it all over again.

And your favourite book?

I keep coming back to The Secret Lives of Colour by Kassia St Clair. It’s a study of the social meanings of colour, with each page a different colour. it’s perfect for dipping in and out of and a fantastic lens to look upon our society.

Oh, and what work of art do you love above all others?

When I studied art in Melbourne I saw a lot of art through the colour plates in gigantic art books. I distinctly remember that I hated Rothko, seeing his work as dull colour blocks. It wasn’t until I got to the Rothko room in the Tate that I saw what I couldn’t see in the books; how the colours shift and change, and dance before your eyes. From that moment I fell in love with his work. My favourite part is how you are rewarded for spending time with his work, each moment revealing more and more details.

Do you believe in a god?

I believe in a god -and I don’t believe in a god- so I suppose that makes me agnostic. I connect with the mathematical perfection of the natural world and surely that perfection must have divine intervention. When life is hard, and I scream into the universe, I think it gives comfort if I think that someone is listening. But sometimes the echo of my thoughts is enough.

Do you have a route that you walk or run that’s particularly special to you?

I am a great walker, it’s where I process my thoughts and dream big. I like walking in the morning, before the city wakes up. I always have a destination for my walk, and that is usually coffee and a pastry.

My favourite walk is from Brixton to Herne Hill, to a favourite bakery. I weave my way through several parks which makes my inner city wander feel like a jaunt through the countryside. Sometimes I walk alone, but it’s when I walk with someone that a special kind of magic happens to the conversation and where anything seems possible.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure (or at least the guiltiest pleasure that you’re prepared to tell us about)?

One of my guiltiest pleasures is my love of the perfect pop song. My teenage self was rather dismissive of any music which troubled the charts. This all changed when I heard the Sugababes’ Overload. From the first time that I heard the groove of the bassline, I pricked up my ears, and the smoothness of the hook had me, well, hooked.

What possession, more than any other, means the most to you?

As an artist I am always collecting things; I store memories in these objects. This is a way of keeping those memories alive, and not confined to a small place in the grey matter of my mind. I think my favourite possession is my collection of band T-shirts from the dark sweaty venues where I heard so many weird and obscure band make a racket on stage. I don’t really wear them anymore, but they are a sign of the freedom of my youth.

What’s your favourite word?

I think my favourite word is “let’s…”. In four simple letters lies a power which is enough to build a community to take on the world and do something truly great.

Cheese or pudding?

Pudding, always pudding. We had a saying when growing up, “A meal with out dessert is just a snack”.

Wine or water?

I love a good glass of wine, but really the only wine I have really enjoyed was chosen by a trained professional and perfectly paired with the food. So, when choosing for myself I would always go for water over wine.

What’s the best thing about Sundays?

BRUNCH! One of my favourite things to do is to take the papers to the local cafe and have brunch on a Sunday, letting time idle by us as we discuss -and put to right- the issues of the world.

Who is your hero?

This is such a good question, which I am not sure I have a good answer to. I think I would have to say David Byrne; he is a creative powerhouse, with always a good mission at his heart.