Primer

Utilizing found images from textbooks along with his own geometric patterns, Matthew Craven's collages and illustrations seek to create a new handmade universe, juxtaposing imagery from different cultures and time periods to celebrate commonalities. Photographs of archaeological remains and the natural world are overlaid on colorful tiled backgrounds drawn on the back of vintage movie posters, to create a hypnotic and mesmerizing vernacular of symbols and designs. Featuring an introduction by LACMA curator Leslie Jones, PRIMER, is the first publication of Craven's art and a reconfiguration of traditional historical narratives inspired by obsessive formations.
The first artist book on collage artist, Matthew Craven.
Matthew Craven is a Los Angeles-based artist whose work centers around found imagery combined with hand-drawn geometric patterns. He has shown in galleries all over the world including, New York, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, and Switzerland. His work has been reviewed in notable outlets including The Huffington Post, Art Critical, and The Brooklyn Rail. In 2017, he was the artist-in-residence for the Marfa Myths Festival. PRIMER is the first monograph from Craven.
Leslie Jones is the Curator of Prints & Drawings at LACMA. She specializes in modern and contemporary works on paper.
"Matthew Craven wants to stay outside the hierarchy of art. His work isn't the kind that will enter the most traditional galleries and receive praise for its craft, nor is it part of any avant-garde movements with a specific social agenda." - L'Officiel
"Rather than being instructed in what to think, PRIMER prompts its reader to create connections between artworks without the tyranny of words." - AnOther
"The book, published by Anthology Editions, is Matthew's first publication...and it makes for a great context for conveying the level of detail inherent to his practice, as well as the visual and theoretical complexity of juxtaposing historical narratives." - It's Nice That