Mattison Pennington

Mattison Pennington

Artist Statement

As an interdisciplinary designer, I have spent the last few years at Texas Woman’s University exploring topics such as fashion marketing, vintage design, and travel. I primarily create my work using vector illustrations and hand drawn designs. My exhibition project combines my love for illustration, travel, and vintage aesthetics all into one display.

My body of work, “Live the Dash,” dives into the concept of seeking adventure and exploring the world for all that it has to offer. This work encourages viewers to step out of their comfort zone and travel abroad to make the dash between their birth and death date count. I created this work because of my fascination of the unknown and the excitement I get from visiting new destinations. This concept has been of interest to me since my early childhood. My grandparents traveled the world and would tell me stories of their adventures together. These stories excited me as a child and have made me want to discover new places around the globe. I believe that exploring different cities and cultures allows us to get the most out of our years. My hope with this exhibition is to inspire the minds of viewers to seek their own adventures and use their time on earth to their advantage.

My work can best be described as simplistic with limited color palettes and vintage influences. Since the beginning of my design career, I have been inspired by nostalgic marketing pieces from the past and have incorporated those elements into a lot of my work. I am inspired by antique objects that have a history to them and how they exist in today’s world. I use this inspiration in my work to create designs that look like they are from the past, even though I am making them during modern times.