Mary Mattingly Swimmer, 2022
Presented by Presented by Alessandro Berni Gallery
After a long career in advertising, Mary Mattingly began making art full time in 2009. Her work drew on the nostalgia and whimsy of Americana, her personal history, and our collective past. She explores these ideas through a variety of mixed media including whimsical sculpture, drawing, and jewelry.
Throughout her career, collage has been a consistent influence. Her most recent work is inspired by graffiti from all over the world. In these large-scale metal pieces, she abstracts and augments photographs of found graffiti while preserving the gesture, color, and spirit. Some of these are enhanced by neon or LED lighting. The layering of print elements, mixing of media and surface allows the graffiti to function as a sort of extended collage.
Mattingly’s work is featured in several permanent collections. She has been shown extensively throughout the United States including at the National Academy Museum in New York, Brattleboro Museum, Vermont, Norton Museum, Florida, and at SOFA in Chicago. Mattingly lives and works in New York.