Incubus’ Choice: Close-up on Matthew Stradling

What message(s) do you want to express through your work?

I want my work to both seduce and provoke thought. For the viewer to loose themselves in a decadent fantasy that almost has a thrill of repulsion. I would like to question our experiences of desire, fear, narcissism, loneliness and ecstasy – all elements that are involved in the sexual experience. I also seek to celebrate these experiences as positive things and to counteract many people’s hypocritical disdain for human sexuality.

Which artists inspire you? Who are your masters?

Artists who inspire me are Warhol, Matthew Barney, Odd Nerdrum.
My masters are Rubens, Klimt, Moreau, the symbolists and the surrealists.

What have you gained by being on the internet?

My work has reached a much wider audience and I have received many positive comments.

Did the internet enable you to meet new models, to find new exhibit places?

No, I have not been able to meet new models (all applications welcomed!) but I have managed to find new exhibition spaces.

What projects mean a lot to you at the moment?

I am currently working on a portrait of Lindsay Kemp, the choreographer and dancer, who is one of my heroes.

Could you tell us a few words about the place you live/work in?

I work in a large studio in a very run-down part of North London. It is an oasis of calm in the middle of the busy city. As a place for me to create in, it has a sacred quality for me.

Close-up on…