I’m Matt Eaton, Artist and Curator, and This Is How I Work
Matt Eaton is an artist from Detroit, but his own art is often secondary. As director and curator of the Red Bull Art House, Matt advocates for young, up-and-coming artists to help develop their talents and promote their work.
Red Bull House of Art is a Detroit residency program that functions as an incubator for creative talent. Since 2011, more than a hundred artists have taken part in it, carefully selected by Matt and his team. And, of course, the artist himself.
Preferring a hammock to an office and painting over PowerPoints, I think Matt figured something out. We spoke to him to find out how he works.
Location: Detroit, Michigan. Current Place of Work: Director and Curator of the Red Bull House of Art in Detroit’s East Market District. One word that best describes how you work: could it be an emoji? ? If not, facepalm. Current mobile devices: iPhone 6s (128GB / Space Gray / Vesel titanium and walnut case) Current computer: Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display.
First of all, tell me a little about your experience and current work.
I was born in Mendocino, California in 1974 (500th child at Fort Bragg Hospital; yes, that was in the newspaper * sort it out, gif * ) to a young Welsh lady named Gillian (who was a Royal Shakespeare actress at the time) … Company) and a Detroit adventurer named Randy (yes, my father wrote an adventurer on my birth certificate). We moved to Los Angeles when I was very young, where my brother and I grew up skateboarding, painting and listening to punk, new wave and early hip-hop.
We moved to Wales around 1986 and then to London for a few years before moving to Detroit, where my brother and I moved to New York shortly after. I lived there for several years (miss you Greenpoint) trying to make art in my tiny apartment. Returning to Detroit from New York was a strange but important time for me. My father died recently and my mother was about to achieve another educational achievement in the UK to keep the rest of the family looking completely uneducated. While I had a good life and a great art job in New York, I decided to let go of the burden of worrying about what other people needed me to do for them and focus on what I needed to do for them. yourself as an artist and a person. (it was time – for Christ’s sake, I was over 30). I put all my energy into creating my own paintings, opening and curating the Library Street Collective and the Red Bull House of Art with a couple of great teams, respectively.
What I am doing now is not a job, it is an absolute dream and pleasure. My life is about making art, helping others make art, and defending their ongoing efforts. I have now decided to focus all my time and attention on our residency program at Red Bull House of Art and my personal work. I couldn’t be happier.
What apps, software or tools can’t you live without? Why?
The only app that I really pay a lot of attention to is Instagram . This is such a great discovery tool. As a curator and art lover, being able to view the work of artists from all over the world with ease from anywhere I am received is amazing. Exploring analytics and patterns from social media platforms like Instagram can be a very powerful (free) tool for an artist.
In terms of software, Adobe Creative Suite is pretty much all I need and I can find it even for things that I should probably use Word or Excel for (sorry Bill Greats, I don’t even have Michaelsoft programs * – said John C. Voice of Reilly * ). I do most of my work in Illustrator, but I also regularly use Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere, and Audition.
An instrument that I can’t live without, that is actually completely useless in my day to day life for anything other than entertainment, is Midland 75-822 CB Radio . Listening to truckers talking to each other on the road … interesting.
How is your workplace arranged? Coffee shop with laptop and headphones? Home office with a standing desk?
Most of my winter work I do on the couch with both the dogs and the cat drinking a cup of tea (Tetleys British Blend round bag x 2 + 2 teaspoons of sugar, please). According to my wife, I fry eggs on my laptop … but they are still here, so I guess she doesn’t know everything. Plus, it’s called LAP-top. In the summer, the front porch turns into an office. I’ve tried a real home office with a desk, pencil holder and photos of loved ones, an office office and even a cafe, but I’m too easily distracted. A beautiful green outdoor space is my most productive environment.
What’s your best time-saving shortcut or life hack?
Most important productivity tool and time saver for me? To tell the truth. Be honest at every step of every process, and most importantly, be honest with yourself and your abilities. If you cannot do this, or think that someone is better suited for a particular task, do not be afraid to delegate authority or ask.
Say “NO!” close second. Master the art of saying no. I’m still learning, but for a guy like me who always wanted to make everyone happy, the ability to say no really cut the bullshit out of my life.
However, when working digitally, three things come to mind that have definitely helped me: key commands, actions, and working in layers. Command + S. Everyone. Lonely. Time.
What’s your favorite to-do list manager? It can be plain text, like an app like Todoist, or just pen and paper!
I use an ancient technique called guilt. I organize everything in my head, and everything that makes me feel guilty is done first. This is also a system that I have developed called Sharpies at Hand. This way I never forget anything. In truth, I don’t make lists very often. I don’t use anything. This is good brain training … isn’t it? Right? *an awkward silence*
Besides your phone and computer, what device or tool can’t you live without and why?
I have to say that my wallet ( Machine Era ) and its contents I guess. It has tools and gadgets. This is necessary for obvious day-to-day transactional reasons, but also for other reasons … stuff that we won’t talk about here … well, we’ll talk about that. Good small flashlight ( Fenix E12 ) and a decent knife ( Kershaw Cryo ) combined with some handy tools for emergency situations ( Readyman Survival Cards ). I’m still waiting for my Plastc ™ card … * eyes narrowed suspiciously *
What are some of your best everyday activities?
I’m not sure if I’m the best at this, but I really enjoy helping people solve problems in their own lives and listening to their plans. Several years ago I realized that nothing truly brings me joy, like the fact that a person succeeds in what he likes to do. If you have a chance to share a little wisdom – or just open your ears for someone to talk – do it. I am also a great chicken schnitzel.
What do you listen to while you work? Have a favorite playlist? Maybe we can talk on the radio? Or do you prefer silence?
Silence is great, but combined with soft wind, heavy wooden bells and birdsong … it’s even better (if it’s not Steller’s jay – these guys are annoying). This is the best soundtrack for me in most situations.
But if I need extra energy, it’s not easy. I love podcasts like Hardcore History , RadioLab and Snap Judgment . I love all kinds of music from classical to cold wave and more. I think it will be easier to create a supergroup of individual artists who reflect my musical taste and whose interests reflect my own. Introducing Cheetahawk. It includes Ennio Morricone, HR (Bad Brains), Gary Numan, Big Daddy Kane, Richard D. James and Bruce Dickinson. Yes, it sounds right.
It should be noted thatLazarus Raised at Dawn by Peter Gabriel at a campground in southern Utah is probably the pinnacle of the relationship between music and work. Yes, breakfast is the best job.
What are you reading now? Or what would you recommend?
My daily routine includes reading the BBC and NPR sites along with Jalopnik , Gizmodo and Lifehacker (no kidding). I really liked Indefininite Wild while it lasted.
Plus loads of gear reviews. I’m obsessed with gear and gadgets – especially outdoor gear (from knives to snowboards) or car mods / parts, so I can explore for hours or days before settling on a choice or direction.
I just finished reading Stories from Your Life and Others by Ted Chang, a very enjoyable collection of short stories. I especially loved the first Tower of Babel movie and the lesson I thought it was trying to convey. Also recently published a book by Sidney Poitier “The Measure of Man: A Spiritual Autobiography . “ An interesting and talented guy! I’ve read all sorts of things from Ken Kesey to Stephen King (thanks, Enid Blyton and J.R.R. condition”. and “no one is ever unhappy about someone else” just to put things in perspective.
I always recommend Bloody Meridian by one of my favorite writers, Cormac McCarthy. If anyone can describe even the most heartbreaking and dark situations as soft poetry, it is Cormac. “In the dark, a soul miraculously rose from the midst of the recently slain dead and escaped into the moonlight.” Damn.
How do you replenish?
I enjoy spending time with my family, my wife, my dogs, reading, nature, art and tinkering with my cars. Nothing replaces nature, however, and reading (physical book in hand) is the best gift you can give yourself. Of course, it teaches you a lot of things, given the content of the book, but not more important than patience and focus. I have a hammock in my backyard under a couple of trees, I look into the canopy and think, dream, wonder and read. Sleep outside comes quickly and gently.
What is your sleep pattern? Are you a night owl or get up early?
I go to bed around 3 am every day and wake up at 7 or 8. Between 10 and 3 pm, usually my personal art studio or digital hours. The rest of the day is devoted to working with others. The hammock is very important. I really like the night alarm and wake up sounds in iOS 10.
Fill in the blank: I would like ______ to answer these same questions.
Karl Sagan, Hieronymus Bosch or Krzysztof Kamil Baczynski … but really? Wangechi Mutu would be cool.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
My mom once told me, “Hope is the last resort for people who don’t plan.” Ha! This tip was immediately shelved for future use – and I really plan to use it! My mom is a genius.
What else would you like to add that might be of interest to readers and fans?
I think this is just an observation related to my area of activity and area of interest. When you choose to support, encourage, or contribute to an artist, you become an important part of a legacy, more powerful than any other in human history. You are directly responsible for perpetuating our history and our achievements through our storytellers, our poets, dancers, actors, architects, writers, graphic designers, photographers and artists – ARTISTS, all of them. You become the reason why, in a few generations, we will be discovering artifacts, as we do today, that help define who, what and why we are. Where have we been, where will we go. Every major industry in the world depends on the hand of an artist, whether it’s a simple hand-drawn logo or 3D modeling for a modern video game. An artist is a tool that connects dreams with reality. They are everywhere, even where they are least expected, are driving our global economy and helping to focus on the future. Support them, understand them, be them.