Gothic Art Nouveau - A Novel Approach by Matt Hughes

"With obvious influences from the Romantics to the Pre-Raphaelites to the Fin de Siecles, Matt Hughes' Ethereal Visions deliver a novel approach that is pioneering a new movement that is best defined as Gothic Art Nouveau. By blending the romantic aesthetic beauty of Art Nouveau with the beautiful dark concepts of Gothic art, he invites the viewer to not only interact with other worldly realms but delve into self-reflection and introspection. His elaborate poses of striking woman draped in extravagant textiles and patterns appear to blend seamlessly with the abstract surroundings, resulting in a refreshingly new interpretation of Art Nouveau. And while the Gothic subjects of religion, mythology, death and spirituality are present, they are addressed more subtly in his contemporary methodology. In addition, the decorative elements associated with Art Nouveau are ingeniously incorporated into the surroundings, fabrics, ornamentation and even pose of the subjects to deliver a well balanced artistic statement."

The works of popular fantasy artist, Matt Hughes, have appeared in numerous publications such Art Scene International, Dark Realms Magazine, Realms of Fantasy Magazine, Spectrum 10 & 12, Magical Blend Magazine, White Wolf Publishing, Heavy Metal Magazine, Mystique Magazine, Wizard Magazine, and Chaos! Comics, just to name a few. In 2004, Matt’s illustration, Boudicca, appeared on the cover of a greeting card set given out to the cast and crew at the Lord of the Rings After Oscar Party. In March of 2005, Matt’s art book, Metamorphosis: The Art of Matt Hughes, published by MG Publishing/SQP, reached the 23,000+ mark in international sales. Also in 2004, Matt was chosen as a Gallery Winner in the Society of Illustrators LA art competition. Matt is a member of The Society of Illustrators located in New York.

Based in Kennesaw, Georgia, Matt continues to illustrate the ethereal visions of myth, goddesses, fairies, angels, demons, and warriors. His conceptual twist on Victorian themes and styles combined with spiritual or philosophical concepts have helped Matt pioneer the new art movement Gothic Art Nouveau. The future is vast and Matt’s ethereal visions are endless, expect much more from this talented artist.

Influences: J.W. Waterhouse, Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema, Alphonse Mucha, Frederic Leighton, Albert Moore, John Everett Millais, Herbert Draper

Education: BFA in Graphic Design from Winthrop University

Review of Metamorphosis: The Art of Matt Hughes Click here to view

Interviews: Early 2004 - WideMag.com Click here to view

Interviews: December 2004 - Epilogue.net Click here to view