The Colorado Mesa University Art Gallery in downtown Grand Junction will feature the works of Matthew Hopson-Walker from Oct. 5 -26. The exhibit is called “Poverty is the Muscle of War,” and will feature original lithographs, relief prints and screen prints pulled from Hopson-Walker’s “Empire Valley” series.
Hopson-Walker’s art style reflects pop culture and pulp culture past, with works that draw on childhood memories of the city where he spent his childhood.
The works for the “Poverty is the Muscle of War,” exhibit follow a theme of the aesthetic from cartoons and comics that he grew up with. “The Empire Valley series is based on observations of urban sprawl and poor urban planning in the city where I grew up,” Hopson-Walker said. “My memories of the city as you drive through it along the freeway is mountains of used tires, appliance junk yards, warehouses and car scrap yards.”
A press release from the CMU Department of Art and Design said, “Taking inspiration from both personal and universal imagery, he creates complex montages of seemingly unrelated imagery, bizarre dreamscapes and imagined creatures using various printmaking techniques, sometimes in the same work.”
Hopson-Walker is Assistant Professor of printmaking at Fresno State University and grew up in Fresno, California, where he took on multiple jobs to support both his art and heavy metal bass playing careers.
The aesthetic of the city and experiences he had living there largely impacted the themes of his art, which is a montage of themes from comics, science fictions and movies that appear in his work.
“I try to create a sense of uncomfortable visual tension by blending thoughts and images that do not fit together,” Hopson-Walker said.
The opening reception will take place Friday, Oct. 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. with an artist talk at 5:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Hopson-Walker’s work can then be viewed during the gallery hours Monday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30 to 5 p.m.
The gallery is located at 437 Colorado Ave. Students can also find the works of local artists at Raw Canvas, Omnia Contemporary and Uncanny Valley galleries downtown, which feature other experiences such as tattoo studios, live music and signature drinks.
