Your Frontier

Featuring as Artist in Residence for the 2022 Recovered Futures Art Exhibition, Matt Whittemore is a tattoo artist and creative who works primarily with dry media in portraiture and realism - although he has a fondness for exploring other styles of artwork as well. Matt's work exemplifies the technical aspects of fine art and has been showcased in galleries across Australian and the world.

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'Your Frontier' is a graphite drawing developed from an original reference image that I designed in Procreate, before translating it into a traditional hand-rendered artwork. The title is inspired by music from Bliss n Eso, whose themes of possibility, self-belief, and pushing beyond perceived limits resonate strongly with my own experiences.

The astronaut serves as a symbol of exploration and perseverance, representing a willingness to step into uncertainty in search of growth and meaning. The wings suggest hope, freedom, and transcendence, while the Earth represents opportunity, responsibility, and the countless paths available to us throughout life.

Created during a challenging period in my personal life, this piece reflects the values that continue to guide me through hardship. Rather than focusing on hardship itself, I wanted to create an image that speaks to resilience and the ability to envision a future beyond present circumstances.

For me, 'Your Frontier' is about recognising that every person stands at the edge of their own unknown horizon. The frontier is not a physical place, but a personal one; the space between who we are and who we have the potential to become. Created for the Recovered Futures Art Exhibition, this work embodies the belief that recovery is not simply about returning to where we once were, but having the courage to move toward new possibilities and create a future of our own making.