Ian Matthews (They/Them) studied photography at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, graduating with a BFA in 2017
Their personal work tells the continuing story of their own life, making images that treat being alive as the art itself. They reverently document the places they have lived ("On Shepherd Avenue"), the physical items that develop lasting sentiment ("Semi-Permanent Objects"), and the friends they have come to know and love ("I've Got to Find a Way to Escape the Horrible Ravages of Youth"). Themes in their work include camaraderie, hedonism, platonic love, and the curious feeling of nostalgia for the present momentâknowing that this point in time is as young as any of us will ever be again. Their preferred medium is color film, using many different cameras that range from 35mm to 120 to 4x5. Their influences include Richard Billingham, Nan Goldin, Eugene Richards, Larry Fink, Larry Clark, and Mike Brodie.