Art Therapy

This is the first in a series of blog posts where we meet artists, talk to them about their strategies for managing their mental wellbeing and how their art practice supports this.

I first heard about Matt Plowright and his artwork when I came across an article in the Nottinghamshire County Council’s County Life Magazine. Just 26 then, his hair was shorter and his wardrobe much more subdued, he has an amazing collection of colourful vintage clothing and winklepicker boots now – after some discussion we agree that the silver ones are by far the best!

Matt graduated in 2010 in textiles before moving into painting, writing and illustration inspired by artists that he admires and from his own imagination. He was also becoming well known for his caricatures and paintings and heavily influenced by Dali at that time. The article’s focus was how Matt was using his obvious artistic talent to support others with their wellbeing through painting sessions. Matt was no stranger to the challenges that struggling with mental health could bring so felt able to share his experiences and comment on how painting had become a large part of how he managed his. His confidence grew and encouraged by the White Wall Gallery at the White Lion pub, Beeston, supported by landlord Sergio and gallery manager Sara Gaynor, he exhibited some of his works in the pub based gallery space. Seeing and hearing people appreciate his artwork was a huge boost for Matt, it encouraged him to continue.

Co-Production was a funded project that worked with people in the community, helping them to engage with activities that could improve their well being. Matt was pleased to have been able to inspire others to pick up a paintbrush and discover the therapeutic nature of art. Although he wasn’t hugely confident himself he felt supported throughout accept the two week residency at Middle Street Resource Centre during Mental Health Awareness Week in 2014. Visiting Matt at the ABC Art Trail on the first weekend in September, I am greeted by an artist who has gone a long way to develop their own practice and who can be proud of the quality, depth and sheer volume of work he has produced.

I caught up with Matt after the event to talk to him about how art continues to play an important role in life.

Historical costume, Dali and a prawn called Rodger

I have very early memories of drawing after watching historical programmes on TV. I would recreate - I’m told in great detail - characters in historical costumes and settings, be it knights in armour, cowboys and Indians or whatever my favourite was at the time - Robin Hood perhaps. One of the earliest things I remember drawing was some kind of space landing with aliens, astronauts and a rocket on the surface of a planet with a moon in the distance! I also loved dressing up as these characters. I had a dressing up box which seemed bottomless and I don’t doubt this has led to my obsession with clothes today!

I think my passion for art was supported really well at primary school (John Clifford) because it seemed work in every subject could be accompanied by a drawing which was so much fun. Also, being taken to folk clubs by my parents, I would sit and listen and enjoy or perhaps rebel against the music that was being played by drawing. Later, and into my early teenage years my interest was largely inspired by football and cricket, drawing cartoons of my favourite players and a huge amount of time spent designing colourful football kits. I did ‘crickatures’ for Trent Bridge shop.

As I moved to secondary school, Chilwell Comp, I was still encouraged and determined by the creative subjects, Art, Technology and English for me, but I found it all much more academic and I was unable to express myself in many of the subjects in the way I could at primary school. So I just made the decision to try my hardest in the creative subjects and did enough to get to Lakeview Sixth Form College and then Foundation Art at South Notts. There I dabbled in lots of creative practices, but was particularly drawn to a module in fashion. This led me to apply to do Fashion at Uni.

At the age of I guess, 18, I did the foundation course and that was a very frantic course, dabbling in lots of creative practices and I got a bit confused, as I’d gone into it from my A-levels very much drawing and painting based. The tutors there picked up on my sense of fashion and suggested I explored things down that route, I recall customizing a military blazer and cobbling together some skinny legged trousers, I had a growing interest in fashion illustration at that time too though I knew nothing of the technicalities of sewing and pattern cutting, I have always been hopeless mathematically!

After that, a series of chance decisions and double-takes led me down an unusual route towards where I am now.

I couldn’t cope with the fast-paced nature of the course at Leeds College of Art or the maths involved. I looked to transfer to another course at Leeds. Neither illustration or Fine Art were on offer, so I ended up on ‘Textiles and Surface Pattern Design’. Using the processes available, I felt I could explore my own ideas in my own way, although my work was very different from that being produced by my fellow students, mostly geared towards working in the fabric and wallpaper industry.

On one of my academic assignments, I chanced upon Salvador Dali. Together with Magritte, The Mighty Boosh and the likes of the Yellow Submarine animation, Mr Benn and Noggin the Nog, I was drawn into Surrealism. I came up with the concept of ‘Rodger the Prawn’-who may just have been a pawn with an extra ‘r’ - and developed him, his story and his world. I was quite surprised the textile tutors were in support of all this as what I was doing was stretching textiles to their limits. Over the Christmas holidays in 2009 I made giant prawn from papier mâché and other materials. I would regularly walk him into college and on one memorable occasion I took him for a slap-up breakfast in a café in the city centre, photographing the experience.. Apart from a small child who burst out crying at the sight, the reaction from the public was indifferent.

After graduation I continued to develop Rodger’s story and ended up over the next ten years writing and illustrating 13 books all about 60 pages long, with contributions from my Mum and a mate from school. I hope eventually to get them published! Alongside this I have continued to develop my painting and drawing to the point where I’m at today, normally preferring to work imaginatively but on occasions when that part of me is not accessible I turn to painting landscapes.

Mixing up the media

It’s always been either acrylic on canvas, sometimes embellished by inks or oil pastels, or gloss paints or else mixed media on paper or mount board. The mixed media materials I use are watercolour, gouache, drawing inks, assortment of pens- cheap biros are great!, felt tips and pencil crayons, I don’t always use all of them. Budget wise I have learnt what you can save money on and what you have to spend more on. As a student I would typically buy budget quality materials and use discarded materials such as in the making of the prawn but as time has gone on I have found better quality stuff. I still use canvases from a range of quality and paint over old work to save money.

Favourite piece

I like the Enigma Of Death 2015 acrylic on canvas, it’s a complete vision realised on canvas, the way I have executed everything in the painting just sits well with me and that is extremely rare! I like its message of hope in the unknown. I don’t think its an outright dark painting despite its obvious subject of death.

The ART in self care

Its very much a double-edged sword, the question for me is how my well being is supported/how I cope when I’m not doing my work

I’m bipolar and have periods of depression and occasionally (fortunately not too often) experience distressing psychotic/paranoid thoughts and feelings. My art is essential to me to make me feel good about myself, which works when things are going well and people are liking it, but can be a chain round my neck when they are not. Setting it aside and replacing it with another positive activity is quite difficult.

Self care strategies

I’m still working on them. Taking time out from the art at weekends during the summer months to play cricket is good and generally getting out, be it to create art in a different environment such as middle street resource centre or my friend’s house works too, occasionally I feel confident enough not to do any art. I don’t drive so I often lug my art equipment with me, sometimes very large canvases! But I find the walk helps and gives me a sense of perspective. I hope things are going in the right direction, but I’ve not cracked it yet

Advice for beginners

If somebody asks me, I’m happy to talk about what works for me in terms of technique or approach, but I don’t feel I’m in any position to give advice. All I can say is: if you have a talent/desire to do something creative, then go for it

Thank you for taking us on your art-fuelled self care journey Matt, we will continue to follow with avid interest!

Bees & love

Debra