DNGRPXL in the News
In Journal & Courier January 5, 2012
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"It's based on digital work," Mattern explained. "It's predominantly digital design: clean, slick, computer generated artwork."
Each piece has a small "A" that looks like a "registered" symbol at first glance. The "A" stands for "Atarilogic," Mattern's DJ alias.
"It's supposed to blur the line between art and advertising," Mattern said.
"Krunk's Not Dead" plays off the popular "Punk's not dead" slogan but gives it a hip-hop spin. Two giants of the 1970s, Star Wars and KISS, are combined in the print "Knights in Sith's Service," a clever title for fans of both the band and the movie franchise. Four stormtrooper helmets get the Demon, Star Child, Catman and Space Ace treatment. The Emperor and Darth Vader would want to "Rock and Roll All Nite" with these four henchmen. This piece would make Gene Simmons smile and whip out his checkbook.
Using Photoshop and Illustrator as his paintbrushes, Mattern stretches into more colorful work with "Beautiful Baby" and "The Black Album." The two pieces that contrast like the win totals of the Green Bay Packers and the Indianapolis Colts. "Beautiful Baby" is a sensual photograph of a woman's lips. Aside from a little focusing and a minute amount of light manipulation, the lips are magnified to be about 3 feet across. Then "The Black Album," another music reference (the title is a nod to the 1991 Metallica album), shows much manipulation of a vicious barking dog. The work, square in shape, could easily be a heavy metal band's album cover.
More work in "DNGRPXL" include video, sculpture and online pieces triggered by QR codes.
"The idea was I wanted to show a lot of techniques a lot of people haven't seen," Mattern said. "It's a lot different than what people see around here."
