Big Bang inspires abstract exhibit at Rotunda Gallery

KITCHENER - Enter a world of space before time. View the intangible as it hangs on a wall. Flotsam, by local artist Matt Schust, is the August exhibit of the Rotunda Gallery.

Spray enamel, India ink, tape and acrylic on canvas, the Flotsam paintings are based on astro-physics, microbiology and technology.
''I hope they can serve as a reminder that these types of processes are occurring all around us at all times,'' says Schust.
The works focus on Schust's interpretation of the Big Bang and the beginning of our existence.

''I am interested in depicting spaces, events, and worlds, which are either below or beyond our perception,'' he says. ''These paintings, which rely heavily on drawing, are derived from images of bacteria and other micro-organisms that have been abstracted in order to add graphic drama to their place of existence.''

Schust is an artist currently practicing in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. He recently graduated with an honours bachelors of arts in fine arts (studio specialization) from the University of Waterloo. He also is one of four winners of the BFA Now 2009 International Painting competition, which received 157 entries from schools in North America, South America, and Europe.