Matt Bodett, "flowerttt," oil and charcoal on clay board, 20 x 16 in, $2,000

Artist Statement

As an artist I disrupt the historical and material connections between Madness, privilege, and confinement. This disruption is based on the diagnosis I was given in 2005 – schizoaffective disorder. Since that time I have dedicated my artistic output to exploring Madness in an array of media.

Bio

Born and raised in Idaho, Bodett received his MFA from Boise State University in 2011. Seeking to dedicate himself more fully to a studio practice he moved to Chicago in 2013. Since that time he has begun performing and exhibiting nationally and internationally. Bodett has created performance art work which has been exhibited at the Freud Museum in London, the No Limits Festival in Berlin, the Poetry Foundation, Steppenwolf Theater, and various other cultural institutions.

Bodett has been a 3Arts and Bodies of Work Fellow, a resident at MacDowell, an incubator artist at High Concept Laboratories, and has received numerous grants and awards. He currently teaches at Loyola University Chicago, serves on the advisory board for the Institute for Therapy Through the Arts, and is on the Artist’s council for 3Arts Chicago.

In the summer of 2022 Bodett opened PRESS HERE: Center for Mad Culture with the intent of showcasing the cultural contributions of mad folx and further disrupting the social stigmas regarding their experiences.