MATT WESTER: MY OCCUPATION
Exhibit Dates: May 24 – June 15
Closing Reception: Friday, May 13, 8-10pm
Gallery Hours: Wed-Sat 1-5pm and by appointment
Read the KXAN Austin News story and the write up in XLent. Also be sure to watch the interviews on KVUE News and KXAN News!
Matt Wester - Mercy
Pump Project is pleased to announce the debut of 25 paintings by Matt Wester, a series focusing on his experiences as an Army photojournalist in Iraq. After September 11, Wester decided to leave his position as a special-education teacher and join the National Guard as a public affairs specialist. Wester was stationed in Iraq 25 miles northwest
of Bagdhad from January 2005 to January 2006, serving his brigade of 2,500 as a journalist for military newspapers and as a liaison with civilian media. “I wrote stories about all different kinds of army jobs, from tankers to army nurses to mechanics. I went on missions three to four times a week for a year, and that’s where I took the photos,” Wester explains.
Although he personally opposed the war in Iraq because he felt it was unjustified and unrelated to the terrorist acts of 2001, he saw his military service as a means to capture a firsthand visual record of the conflict. Wester used his downtime on the base to digitally manipulate his photos, resulting in stencil-like silhouettes for a bold, high-contrast effect. During this time, he also began planning a painting series combining the most powerful images. Says Wester, “I feel driven to get these images down and make a statement about the war. It’s therapeutic to put these images into my own terms while translating them into art, and I’m able to express my feelings about the war at the same time.”
It’s safe to assume from this personal series that his reaction to suffering is deep empathy.
A portion of Wester’s Iraq series was previewed at the United States Art Authority in February. The artist will donate 10% of the proceeds from painting sales to Fisher House, a program that provides military families with a safe, comfortable place to stay near the hospital where their loved one is being treated for injury or illness.
