Matthew Finley: Lost and Found

About

Matthew Finley’s work imagines the world as it should have been: A world where no queer person feels ashamed for who they love, who they are and how they want to present themselves. In this universe, family support of one’s love is a given, rather than a possibility, or, we could say, an impossibility.

In his poetic photographic projects, Finley provides coordinates for how life in this world would be. This solo exhibition, which depicts several series from the past decade, chronicles how Finley reimagines found images and objects, encouraging his staged subjects to discover the joy of nature, as well as a self-consciousness that never seeks to conceal or mask itself, visualizing how we package ourselves for others and the emotional states that result. Whether in fictive family albums or expansive analog projects, his photographic perspective remains intimate and vulnerable. Finley positions male bodies in compositions that echo photographic histories, in which the male subjects become a focal point of the viewing eye, a source of fascination and desire–and that desire quietly comes to the fore to insist on its rightful place. The emotional burden at the core of these works informs their shapes, perspectives, light and configurations. They are both haunting and haunted, charting a path from rejection to liberation by way of friendship and love.

Desire, in these works, becomes a core element of vision; whether it is the desire to be close to another body or the desire to be fully accepted. In that sense, Finley’s work negotiates lived experiences and offers them as an invitation for the viewer, to become an active participant; re-imagine relationships and their histories alongside those captured in the frame, and insist on joy and love as an antidote for judgment, exclusion and isolation in our current world.

Bio

Based in Los Angeles, Matthew Finley (b.1972) uses a variety of photography processes to communicate his life’s experience and form emotional connections to viewers.

Growing up queer, Finley’s experiences of loneliness and separation from the world around him fostered a fear of being singled out, yet at the same time a desire to see and truly be seen by others. Now, as an adult with social anxiety, the studio is a safe space where he can be vulnerable and express his true self that wants to dialogue with an audience. Creating and exhibiting his work is a way to forge relationships with viewers outside of traditional social pressures. The photography tells autobiographical stories which convey an emotional honesty of experience. He addresses issues such as his coming out story, intimate relationships, and the healing power of nature.

Finley’s work has shown in solo and group shows in multiple galleries across the U.S. Most recently, his work was on the walls of  the esteemed Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles with the likes of Herb Ritts and Herbert List. Other works have circled the globe as part of the FOTOFILMIC 17 traveling show and he has pieces in the permanent collections of the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College Chicago, The Museum of Art and History, Lancaster, and the Center for Fine Art Photography. His images have also appeared in publications including Oxford American, Shots Magazine, and online outlets such as Lenscratch, among others. In 2024 Finley was awarded CENTER Santa Fe’s Personal Award as well as the Center for Photographic Art’s LGBTQ+ Artist Grant for his project An Impossibly Normal Life.

Matthew Finley’s images are conduits to expose his personal and closely held emotions which would otherwise go unexpressed, and start a dialogue around queer issues, personal growth and universal emotional commonalities.

Price Sheet and Instructions for Purchasing Artwork

Download/view price sheet TO COME!

Interested in purchasing artwork? Please email info@lacphoto.org and a representative will contact you ASAP.  Thank you!

Features

Lost and Found will feature the following FREE events and happenings:

• Opening reception on Saturday, October 4th, 4 pm – 6 pm, 2025 with a walk-through with the artist at 4:30pm. RSVP HERE