NILS STÆRK
Skip to main content
  • Menu
  • Artists
  • Exhibitions
  • Art Fairs
  • News
  • Contact
Cart
0 items €
Checkout

Item added to cart

View cart & checkout
Continue shopping
Menu
Matthew Ronay
In and Out and In and Out, Again, August 20 - October 17, 2015

Matthew Ronay: In and Out and In and Out, Again

Past exhibition
  • Exhibition text
  • Installation views
  • Works
  • Artist Biography

  • Matthew Ronay
    In and Out and In and Out, Again

    August 20 – October 17, 2015
    Ny Carlsberg vej 68, Copenhagen 

    Nils Stærk is proud to present the solo exhibition In and Out and In and Out, Again by American artist Matthew Ronay (b. 1976, Louisville, Kentucky, USA).

     

    In the main space of the gallery a large-scale installation composed of several individual elements is the central feature of the exhibition. On the back wall, Ronay has installed a major composition made up of blue curvilinear shapes resembling a waterfall or a wall of flames. From the bottom of the wall, a carpet painted in an intense hue of azure expands into the room on top of which the other elements of the installation are placed in an orderly row and appear to be headed towards a threshold that disappears into infinite space. These elements are wooden sculptures in various sizes and colors. While one is horizontal, other elements are vertical and emulate the forms of gates, a reference that is not accidental. Every work is meticulously carved and clearly made by hand. Ronay’s work simultaneously refers to parts of the human body, forms found in non-western, ritualistic cultures, and abstraction that is almost non-objective in character. In the second room of the exhibition seven small wooden reliefs are installed as a discreet group. Like the sculptures, the reliefs are characterized by organic forms and highly tactile wooden surfaces.

    Read more

    Ronay’s works are often described as containing elements alluding to mysticism, and spirituality. At the center of these references is the idea of transformation from one state to another, both physical and phenomenological. Ultimately, Ronay’s works function as gateways from one place to another, whether retinal or metaphysical, leaving viewers with associations to things based on their own experience of the world or their owns systems of belief.

     

    Matthew Ronay’s has had solo exhibitions at Kunstverein Lingen, Germany, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, USA, University of Louisville, USA, La Conservera, Murcia, Spain, Artpace – Hudson (Show)Room, San Antonio, USA. His work was shown in the Lyon Biennial in 2013 and has been included ingroup exhibitions in important institutions such as Schrin Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, Germany, Astrup Fearnley Museum, Oslo, Norway, Aros, Århus, Denmark, Serpentine Gallery, London, UK, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, New York, USA and the Withney Biennale in 2004. The current exhibition is Ronay’s fourth solo exhibition with Nils Stærk.

  • Installation views
  • (View more details about this item in a popup).
    (View more details about this item in a popup).
    (View more details about this item in a popup).
    (View more details about this item in a popup).
    (View more details about this item in a popup).
    (View more details about this item in a popup).
  • Works
    • Matthew Ronay Carriers Concoction, 2015 Basswood, dye, gouache
      Matthew Ronay
      Carriers Concoction, 2015
      Basswood, dye, gouache
    • Matthew Ronay Clogging Sacks, 2015 Basswood, dye, gouache
      Matthew Ronay
      Clogging Sacks, 2015
      Basswood, dye, gouache
    • Matthew Ronay Humid Virus Beacon, 2015 Basswood, dye
      Matthew Ronay
      Humid Virus Beacon, 2015
      Basswood, dye
    • Matthew Ronay Incubating Chimeric Zygotes, 2015 Basswood, dye, gouache
      Matthew Ronay
      Incubating Chimeric Zygotes, 2015
      Basswood, dye, gouache
    • Matthew Ronay Perspiring Pearl Tipped Pylon, 2015 Basswood, dye, shellac-based primer
      Matthew Ronay
      Perspiring Pearl Tipped Pylon, 2015
      Basswood, dye, shellac-based primer
    • Matthew Ronay Pulsing Mound Interred Infinitely, 2015 Basswood, dye, gouache
      Matthew Ronay
      Pulsing Mound Interred Infinitely, 2015
      Basswood, dye, gouache
    • Matthew Ronay Yellow Imparting Glint, Purple Cavern, 2015 Basswood, shallac-based primer, dye, gouache
      Matthew Ronay
      Yellow Imparting Glint, Purple Cavern, 2015
      Basswood, shallac-based primer, dye, gouache
    • Matthew Ronay Orange Discoidal, 2013 Maple, dye
      Matthew Ronay
      Orange Discoidal, 2013
      Maple, dye
    • Matthew Ronay Wind of Vulcanic Eagle, 2013 Basswood, steel, plastic, dye
      Matthew Ronay
      Wind of Vulcanic Eagle, 2013
      Basswood, steel, plastic, dye
    • Matthew Ronay Digestive Gate, 2013 Basswood, dye, shellac-based
      Matthew Ronay
      Digestive Gate, 2013
      Basswood, dye, shellac-based
    • Matthew Ronay Three Stretching Posts, 2013 Basswood, dye
      Matthew Ronay
      Three Stretching Posts, 2013
      Basswood, dye
    • Matthew Ronay Penis Dwelling, 2013 Basswood, birch, steel, plastic, dye
      Matthew Ronay
      Penis Dwelling, 2013
      Basswood, birch, steel, plastic, dye
    • Matthew Ronay Wavering Body, 2013 Basswood, oak, ash, cotton, steel, plastic, dye, shellac-based primer
      Matthew Ronay
      Wavering Body, 2013
      Basswood, oak, ash, cotton, steel, plastic, dye, shellac-based primer
    • Matthew Ronay Anthracite Waterfall with Triangular Portal, 2012-2013 Cinefoil, shellac-based primer, gouache, basswood, dye
      Matthew Ronay
      Anthracite Waterfall with Triangular Portal, 2012-2013
      Cinefoil, shellac-based primer, gouache, basswood, dye
    • Matthew Ronay In and Out and In and Out, Again, 2013 Various elements consisting of: Basswood, birch, steel, plastic, dye
      Matthew Ronay
      In and Out and In and Out, Again, 2013
      Various elements consisting of: Basswood, birch, steel, plastic, dye
  • Artist Biography
  • MATTHEW RONAY Born in Louisville, KY, US, 1976 Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, US Matthew Ronay’s works invite viewers...
     

    MATTHEW RONAY

    Born in Louisville, KY, US, 1976
    Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, US

     

    Matthew Ronay’s works invite viewers into a mythological realm where abstract forms meet metaphysical energies. His creative process, rooted in automatic drawing, allows subconscious impulses to shape intricate sculptures that appear to grow autonomously. Inspired by the natural world, Ronay incorporates biomorphic shapes to explore themes of reproduction and decay. Using basswood, he crafts each piece unassisted, finishing them with rhythmic textures and vibrant colors that evoke a tactile, sensory connection.

     

    At the core of Ronay’s practice is his ability to merge disparate elements into harmonious compositions that feel both familiar and otherworldly. By emphasizing the spaces between his sculptures’ components, he fosters a dynamic balance of tension and unity, inviting viewers to reflect on the interplay between humanity and nature. This immersive experience not only draws attention to the works’ physicality but also unveils deeper layers of psychological and emotional resonance.

     

    Download artist's CV 

Back to exhibitions

CONTACT

+45 3254 4562
gallery@nilsstaerk.dk

Inquire

GLENTEVEJ 49
Copenhagen

Tuesday — Friday: 11 am — 5 pm

Saturday: 11 am — 3 pm

HOLBERGSGADE 19
COPENHAGEN

Tuesday — Friday: 12 pm — 5 pm

Saturday: 11 am — 3 pm

Facebook, opens in a new tab.
Instagram, opens in a new tab.
LinkedIn, opens in a new tab.
Send an email
Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy
Manage cookies
Copyright © 2025 NILS STÆRK

This website uses cookies
This site uses cookies to help make it more useful to you. Please contact us to find out more about our Cookie Policy.

Manage cookies
Accept

Cookie preferences

Check the boxes for the cookie categories you allow our site to use

Cookie options
Required for the website to function and cannot be disabled.
Improve your experience on the website by storing choices you make about how it should function.
Allow us to collect anonymous usage data in order to improve the experience on our website.
Allow us to identify our visitors so that we can offer personalised, targeted marketing.
Save preferences
Close

Join our mailing list

Signup

* denotes required fields

We will process the personal data you have supplied to communicate with you in accordance with our Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.