Matthew Fertel
Artist’s Overview
My work focuses on exposing the hidden beauty in the mundane objects I encounter daily. By concentrating on shapes, textures, and colors, I seek to transform them into abstract landscapes, figures, and faces. My goal is to create compositions that encourage an implied narrative—one that is easily influenced by the viewer and open to multiple interpretations.
All three of these images are from my walks through the “Welding Village” at Sierra College, a temporary, unenclosed structure used while the permanent Welding Department building is refurbished. With minimal protection from the elements and a constant flow of donated scrap metal, it serves as an ever-evolving source of artistic inspiration.
One Last Dance at the End of Time
Artist’s Statement
One Last Dance at the End of Time was discovered on a cabinet that had spent too much time outdoors, exposed to the harsh environment. To me, the image evokes two dancers swirling in circles against the backdrop of the void of space. The title reflects both the attempt to find joy in bleak times and the fact that the cabinet was discarded shortly after the image was taken.
The Inner Workings Exposed
Artist’s Statement
The Inner Workings Exposed was created from a discarded piece of science equipment that was partially dismantled, hence the title. The image is reminiscent of the cutaway drawings that were popularized during the Renaissance and later used in parts catalogs and manuals.
The Undue Process of Elimination
Artist’s Statement
The Undue Process of Elimination was also found on that same cabinet. In this piece, I see an elevated figure on the left, standing in judgment of the figures on the right. The title is a reference to current immigration policies in the United States.
About the Artist
Matthew Fertel is a Sacramento-based photographer who has worked at Sierra College since 2004. Before that, he was a fine art auction house catalog photographer in San Francisco for over ten years. His photographs have appeared in various publications, including Peatsmoke Journal, Red Ogre Review, Wild Roof Journal, About Place Journal, Mud Season Review, Kitchen Table Quarterly, and many others. Find him online at mfertel.wixsite.com and on Instagram @digprod4.