Cheyne's current paintings recharacterise classical mythical figures from a modern perspective. His technically formal work seeks to make the ordinary extraordinary, giving everyday items uncanny powers and symbolic weight. 2010 METRO PRIZE FINALIST "Drawing Room Luminaries" This series of paintings was completed in Berlin over the past year and reflects upon time spent in the Alte National Galerie studying works of the German Romantics. “It is singular how soon we lose the impression of what ceases to be constantly before us. A year impairs, a lustre obliterates. There is little distinct left without an effort of memory, then indeed the lights are rekindled for a moment – but who can be sure that the Imagination is not the torch-bearer?” Lord Byron The above quote of Byron sums up perfectly the fallibility and plasticity of memory. The nostalgia expressed in the paintings of the Romantics shows a determination to create a better past. This better past may be full of anachronisms, omissions, invention, and absurdity but by depicting it clearly and repeatedly in high focus a new, better truth is created. The Drawing Room Luminaries is a collection of my friends, household objects, myths and classical personages painted in this spirit. Matthew Cheyne 2010. Matthew Cheyne is an emerging Brisbane artist whose previous two shows at Libby Edwards Galleries were virtual sell-outs. This is the artist’s first Melbourne exhibition. Matthew has completed numerous commissions and has contributed to performance work for Global Arts Link in Queensland. In 2009 Cheyne was selected for a public exhibition, Nam Bang! at Casula Powerhouse in Sydney which dealt with the aftermath of the Vietnam war. After studying film and English literature, Matthew completed a Bachelor of Design Studies at the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, and worked as a graphic designer and illustrator. For a time Matthew also ran a small workshop focusing on the design and construction of bespoke furniture, but since 2003 he has focused on his fine arts practice. Cheyne also takes pride in the technical aspects of his work, from the careful construction of his strainers to consideration of the archival implications of his material selections and technique. www.matthewcheyne.com