Jay Matthews  b.1958 USA S.U.N.Y. New Paltz B.F.A. Printmaking 1976-81 The hanging leporello book is an idea that I developed in Amsterdam in the early 90s as a reaction to the small intimate illustrated books and smaller drawings I had been doing up till then. . I wanted to make something that stood out visually and that operated as a book but could be hung on the wall and viewed as a painting and to have an impact of a larger statement rather than a little quiet private piece you hold in your hand. In the group of work I entitled "Shirts" I returned to the small format and simplified my imagery. I wanted to explore as many different ways of expression within the confines of the same motif .Its not meant to be about fashion but more to do with the human body and a slightly irreverent look at one of the uniforms of the last one hundred years or so. One that we call the shirt.