Dolmen Tourist - print of oil painting by Matt Graysmith

ARTIST STATEMENT: ‘Dolmen tourist’ is about my friend the painter Archie Boon cutting his head upon entering the Dehus Dolmen when visiting Guernsey. I thought about how our relationship with these ancient local relics is all similar to this event - tourists in a world we don’t fully understand, recreating our own rituals and relationships with the land both familiar and mysterious. I’ve been conscious of how space works within my work, managing the flatness and the relationship between the interior and exterior as a psychographic element to the work. Matt created this piece while studying Fine Art at Camberwell College where he is in his final year. He is a winner of the Delphian Gallery Open Call, the exhibition of which took place this year at Unit 1 Gallery in Notting Hill. His work centres on the exploration of folklore and ritual in a contemporary setting, looking at subjects through the guise of their sense of place. After graduating he plans to continue his artistic practice.