At some point in the past five years, the word “creative” became known as a noun instead of just an adjective. I’m unsure how or why we let this happen. It’s not “literally”-becoming-“figuratively” bad, but I’m not sure that business hipsters needed to hijack the term as an umbrella for their vague list of job duties. If they were so creative … could they not have just invented a new term? Plus, I’m pretty sure that every time someone introduces his or herself as a “creative,” an art student somewhere is forced to drop out or switch majors to accounting. It’s science.
Maybe it would be more palatable if it was reserved solely for people like Matt Goad, a person who is literally (Figuratively? I don’t even know anymore.) creating something every day. He’s a longtime graphic designer who acts as creative director of Funnel Design Group, and when he’s not busy putting together the coolest logos and ad materials in the 405, the former Starlight Mint is fronting art-pop four-piece Feel Spectres and, as of the past few years, painting. You can see some of his latest works at Monkey Do, a primate-flavored solo exhibition of Goad’s latest works opening at Myriad Botanical Gardens (in the South Lobby, Crystal Bridge) being celebrated with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. tonight, Thursday, January 29. The exhibit will run through February 27.
He has a fun, charming style of his very own, honed in by years of designing concert posters for the likes of The Flaming Lips and Starlight Mints. Informed by Alex Steinweiss, Jim Flora, Stuart Davis, and Charley Harper, Goad utilizes simple geometry but manipulates those basic shapes into complex forms using bright, bold colors and imagery. He calls his approach “chunkism,” using acrylics and stencils to paint in a fashion that mimics graphic design.
Here’s a look at the work of Matt Goad:
If you want to see more, visit his website or swing by Myriad Gardens sometime in the next month.
