American artist Landon Metz is showcasing a new body of work at Waddington Custot gallery in London. Born in Arizona and now based in Brooklyn, Metz is largely known for creating paintings depicting large biomorphic shapes in thinned-out acrylic paint that come into spatial dialogue with the surrounding environment.
The eponymously titled show follows Metz’ debut into the world of music, a six-track ambient EP that provides a fitting ethereal backdrop to his art practice. When asked about how he now juggles the two, Metz tells Hypeart that he’s only trying to make “honest and authentic work,” revealing that it was in fact music that was his first love growing up. “You can’t help but feel what it wants you to feel.”
Like his ethereal soundscapes, Metz’ dye works on canvas deal with capturing the ineffable quality of time. “Every aspect of my practice ultimately ends up moving in unison regardless of medium,” Metz previously said in a past interview, “not necessarily by my own volition but something that feels much more akin to fate.”
His latest show presents some of his largest works to date: massive wall-to-wall paneled works that, while static, appear to hover across the expanse of the gallery. Metz isn’t worried about imparting any intrinsic messages through his paintings or music, opting to enjoy the process itself as his main source of fulfillment. “I honestly just love painting — making paintings, looking at paintings, the history of painting, the future of painting,” he mused.
“I just wake up everyday and try to make the best thing I can make and that usually involves painting in some capacity,” he added. “I’m not so interested in arriving at any conclusion, or finding a solution, or getting it right. I just show up daily and give it my best shot. The series in this show is a part of that continuum. It’s a representation of where I was in the first half of the year 2024, and I feel f*cking great about that representation!”
Landon Metz is currently on view at Waddington Custot in London until August 9, 2024.
Waddington Custot
11-12 Cork St,
London W1S 3LT
