OM.2026.079 - Matthew Rose - France

OM.2026.079 - collage on paper - 10.5 x 8.25 inches- Another Day - Matthew Rose - France

Front and back of correspondence

back of envelope

 Matthew Rose (born 1959) is an acclaimed American visual artist, collage master, and art writer who has lived and worked in Paris, France for over two decades. Widely regarded as a central pillar and vital engine of the international contemporary collage community, Rose is celebrated for his razor-sharp typographical wit, semantic subversion, and his role as a hyper-connected networker who orchestrates legendary global open-source art calls.

An accurate overview of his background, aesthetic philosophy, and major projects includes:

Academic Roots and the Move to Europe

• From Writing to Visuals: Born in New York and raised in Philadelphia, Rose graduated from Brown University with a degree in Semiotics and Linguistics. He initially worked as a magazine writer, journalist, and illustrator, a background that permanently cemented words, captions, and linguistic play at the center of his visual art.
• The Parisian Transposition: He relocated to Paris in the late 1990s, operating out of his studio in the city’s artistic core. This change of scenery introduced a distinctly European, flea-market-sourced texture to his paper collections.

Aesthetic Style: Typographical Satire and Paper Objects

• Semantic Deconstruction: Drawing directly from his semiotics background, Rose's collages treat text as a volatile design element. He clips retro catchphrases, vintage advertising fonts, and industrial headlines, arranging them into surreal, humorous, and frequently political juxtapositions that challenge modern consumer culture.
• The "Scraps" Philosophy: Rose embraces the tactile variations of physical materials. He builds dense visual layers using deeply weathered papers, vintage maps, postcards, and forgotten photographs found in Parisian junk bins, binding them together with ink, acrylics, and heavy wax.
• Beyond the Flat Surface: He frequently builds three-dimensional objects, altering found book covers and constructing mini-sculptural assemblages that act as tactile visual poems.

Global Curation and Institutional Impact

• A Book About Death: Rose achieved massive international subcultural renown in 2009 when he launched A Book About Death. Conceived as an un-juried, open-source global mail art project honoring Ray Johnson and Emily Harvey, the project invited creators from all over the world to submit postcard-sized works reflecting on mortality. It exploded into a historic global phenomenon, resulting in massive parallel exhibitions across New York, Paris, Brazil, and dozens of other global hubs.
• International Galleries: His individual portfolios are exhibited heavily across Europe and North America, mounted in spaces such as the Karsten Greve Gallery (Paris), The Center for Book Arts (New York), and the Contemporary Collage Museum.