Huntington Beach, CA - ICONZ, the first solo art show by former Quiksilver and Hawk artist Matt Lorentz brought out an eclectic youthful mix of surfers, skaters, artists, models and enthusiasts from all over Orange County, Los Angeles and San Diego.
Matt’s detailed and lifelike depictions of pop-culture icons such as Bob Marley, Blondie, The Ramones and Bruce Lee drew praise and acclaim from the crowd that filled the venue to capacity. One of the unique features in Matt’s presentation was the use of blank skateboards as his primary media, merging the pop-cultural depictions of his art with one of the most symbolic objects of Southern California’s surf, skate and beach culture – the skateboard.
“Fitting all of my inspiration into the long and narrow space of a skateboard was challenging at times,” exclaimed Matt. However, everyone seemed to agree that Matt met with that challenge very well.
“He has so much talent and he puts his heart and soul into all of his art and you can see it when you look at his pieces.” - Sylvia Bybee.
"We were greeted by a mix of various subjects done in varied media, from the 1969 moon landing to Jimi Handrix, Vampirella and more. All were exceptionally well done, showcasing the artist's confidence in working in any medium." - Charlie & Joan Roberts
"My absolute favorite piece of Matt’s artwork was the Joker skateboard. Not only did it look just like the character himself, but the entire piece captured his psychopathic demeanor. Matt is an incredible artist with amazing talent." - Julie Ann
About Matt:
A San Diego native who has a passion for art and board riding. Since 2001, Matt has worked as an illustrator for the action sports industry having created over 65 character driven graphics for Tony Hawk's Quiksilver line and Hawk Clothing. Other clients include Reef, Local Motion, Quiksilver, G&S, Crazy Shirts, Ron Jon Surf Shop, SoCal, No Fear, and Sycuan Casino. Matt also created skate graphics for Mike McGill and Steve Steadham's Skate Industries. His art has been featured in Concrete Wave, Exaggerated Features, and Uncle Jam magazines, as well as art shows at the San Diego Art Institute, Aubergine, The Huntington Beach Art Center, The Light Gallery, The International Cartoon Salon (2002, 2004) at the Tijuana Cultural Center, X-Games XXII's V Foundation Auction, X-Games XV's Behind the Big Air Benefit, The Tony Hawk Foundation, The Quiksilver Foundation's Artists' Showcase, and Rod Mojica's "Art for Life" benefit. He is a member of the National Cartoonists Society and the International Society of Caricature Artists.
ICONZ: Presented at Hero’s Pub (Huntington Beach, CA); drinks sponsored by Primo Beer, Hawaii’s original Beer.
Matt is not only a phenomenal person, he’s also an extraordinary artist. That much was obvious as I walked around the room, drawn to each and every work he created. What drew me in even further was his ability to connect his finished art with something rarely seen—the inspiration behind his desire to create such works in the first place. It was that relationship between the visual and written expressions, such as Michael Jordan’s famous statement “And that’s why I succeed” and Bruce Lee’s “Be water, my friend” that allowed me to share in Matt’s inspiration, if only for a minute, that made me stop and think - now that’s art.
ReplyDeleteI very happy for my good friend Matthew for having his first one man artshow. I've seen Matty grow into a very talented artist. I was really cool to see his work displayed from his early stages to the level that his work developed into to today. His skate decks looked fantastic and and really shows Matty's talent. Great job Matty!
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