Matt Morgan

In art and design, finding simplicity is rarely a simple process. The concept of removing the unnecessary sounds easy enough, but in order to really succeed, the artist/designer is often required to sift through piles of very complex concepts in order to find, for example, one word that holds the meaning of an entire paragraph, or one shape that embodies several emotions. However, if true simplicity is found, its resulting companion almost always is, strangely enough, true complexity. It is within the boundaries of simplicity that complexity is best revealed, and it is this revelation that helps to shape some of today’s (and yesterday’s) best art, design, advertising, writing, and almost any other creative endeavor imaginable. A nice example of this pure simplicity/complexity can be found in the black and white artwork of Matt Morgan. Composed primarily of lines or repetitive patterns, Morgan’s pieces are enveloping (even via laptop screen) and emotional; this example, taken from one of four small sketchbooks featured on Morgan’s website, is full of depth, yet made from only three lines. I’m not sure if Matt works with mediums other than sketchbooks — his cryptic website says only that he lives in Los Angeles and that his work is “intended for the viewer to experience in person” — but I’m hoping to see more of his work (or just more work like his; I worship simplicity) in the future.