Ro2 Art is delighted to present Dream a little dream, a vibrant and thought-provoking exhibition by Dallas-based artist Matthew “Woody” Wood. Blurring the lines between reality and abstraction, Woody’s work balances sophistication with a sense of playfulness, engaging viewers through unexpected materials and dynamic compositions. Originally trained as a painter, Woody’s creative journey has led him to experiment with unconventional mediums, such as rare vintage Chroma Rama paper, and to develop a unique visual language built upon manipulated photographs of shadows and abstract forms.

In his Biomorphagrams, Woody challenges traditional perceptions of space and form, crafting layered constructions that exist somewhere between two and three dimensions. His approach is both meticulous and spontaneous—each piece is an exploration of dualities, melding the tangible with the intangible, the familiar with the fantastical. Drawing inspiration from both art history and contemporary pop culture, Woody’s creations invite viewers to step into a world where static forms pulse with life and hidden narratives unfold across vibrant, multi-dimensional constructions.

At the heart of his practice is a playful embrace of chance and imperfection, underscoring his belief that the unexpected can lead to deeper, more meaningful connections between the artwork and its audience. Dream a little dream is on view from September 21 to October 26, 2024, at Ro2 Art in Dallas.

Originally a painter, Dallas-based artist Matthew “Woody” Wood started exploring alternative mediums in the 1990s while attending the Kansas City Art institute. Drawing inspiration from works that forego the inclusion of brushwork or human touch, Woody works with a rare vintage paper, Chroma Rama, in order to produce multi-dimensional works that eclipse the appearance of the artist’s hand in their creation. During his graduate studies at NYU he began an in-depth process of photographing pedestrians’ shadows and manipulating the resulting images, thus creating his own visual language of abstract forms to employ in his work.

These explorations in abstract shapes form the basis of Woody’s Biomorphagrams, which are multi-layered constructions that blur the line between static form and fluid process. Existing somewhere in the space between two- dimensional and three-dimensional, his work is deeply influenced by the twofold art historical context of realism and abstraction while drawing on both past and present pop culture for inspiration. In playing with the ideas of dimension, genre, and dual cultural concepts, Woody imbues his work with the definitive ambition of working contemporary artists: creating works that are ultimately timeless.