Text from Matthew Ronay's exhibition "Distractions from war, 2006 at Nils Stærk:

The exhibition presents four new sculptures which, under the title Distractions From War, illustrate typical distractions for people who are fighting a war abroad. In the themes of the sculptures, which at first glance have nothing to do with each other, we can find elements of the four distractions: Theatre, porn, holiday and pleasant surprises. Like a kind of visual puzzle, the sculptures give the viewers fantasy free reign. The intention is not to illustrate or communicate a concrete storyline, but to reveal ideas, and thereby invite the public to spend time with the pieces, follow their associative links and finally arrive at their own personal story in the narrative sculptures. The pieces’ fantasy laden and three dimensional cartoon-like universe disarms us, and only the title of the exhibition reminds us of the seriousness behind them.

Matthew Ronay (1976) lives in New York. He finished his traning at Yale University, USA, in 2000. Untill the 8th of November Ronay’s exhibition Goin’ Down, Down, Down is on view at Parasol Unit foundation for contemporary art, London. Ronay has exhibited throughout most of Europe and the USA, with his most recent exhibitions at Marc Foxx, Los Angeles; Vacio 9, Madrid; Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York; Esther Schipper, Berlin; Sculpture Center, Long Island City; CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, San Francisco and Astrup Fearnley Museum for Modern Art, Oslo.