I have two goals in art. My personal work is to fulfill my own desire for expression, whether it is impulsive or meticulous. My second goal is an attempt to examine meanings and structures in the realm of the social. I am fascinated by this thing called culture. I am enticed by religion, enthralled by politics, and completely engrossed in how people subject themselves and others to various behaviors and rituals. Values and ethics are further forms of thought that captivate me. My observation has been that there is no universal absolute truth, only a will and the consequences from its application. This, along with an examinationof “human nature,” provides me with endless dilemmas, and conundrums to explore.

past

I have always been involved with the arts. For as long as I can remember I have always carried sketchbooks with me everywhere. I have taken numerous art, art history, and photography classes. I established the Photography club in my high school, Benicia High School. I was the lead photographer and designer in producing the 2005/2006 yearbook, Pride.

now

I am currently a social science student at UC Santa Cruz, double majoring in anthropology and studio art. I am also the Editor-in-Chief for Leviathan, the Jewish voice of UCSC. I shoot weddings, birthdays, special events, portraits and head shots. I travel as much as possible on the modest student budget that I can earn myself. My current work is a visual ethnography on immigrant laborers. The project has grown out of a class on visual ethnography and a lifelong commitment to the transnational communities of which I am so proud to be a part. I am exploring the role of documentarian and the use of reflexivity. I admit objectivity is impossible with the intent of showing the viewer everything. I can only hope the viewer makes his/her own decision regarding any topic on sound research.

future

I am considering a career in the global conglomerate that is government. My passion is for community service, human rights, and social justice. Whether I employ the medium of law, USAID, the US Foreign Services, or an NGO- this is not known. But I will make a differnece.

resume

Click Here to learn more about Matt.