"I want to bring out the good things about our region of the country, the things that move me emotionally and have an association with our history. Most of my work is landscapes. I love the land here; it's flat, you can see forever, and the moisture content is so high that it makes great clouds. I don't normally paint interiors, but I've painted Elvis's living room and the inside of Sun Studio. I had kind of a religious experience there: I had always liked Elvis, but when I stepped inside that recording studio and saw where it all happened, where all that music was made, the X on the floor where Elvis stood---well, I had to paint it. If it weren't for what happened in Memphis, we wouldn't have blues, rock and roll or jazz.
"I don't follow the news a lot because so much of it is depressing. The bad news just feeds on itself and makes people feel hopeless, but there is so much good going on here. Even with all its problems, I love this town."
"I don't follow the news a lot because so much of it is depressing. The bad news just feeds on itself and makes people feel hopeless, but there is so much good going on here. Even with all its problems, I love this town."
Matthew Hasty is represented by L Ross Gallery, 5040 Sanderlin Ave., Sutie 104.
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