Robert Mattson
SMAHC 2009 Prairie Star

We are proud to present Robert Mattson as the SMAHC Prairie Star for 2009.  New London artist Andrew Nordin nominated Mattson for this award.  He writes, “Bob has been making art as a professionally trained artist in the Willmar/New London area for the last 40 years.  During this time, he has displayed integrity of commitment to his craft at a level that is reserved and categorized as being of the highest achievement.”

Mattson grew up in Willmar.  It was a different place than it is now, a much smaller and more closely knit community.  There were many community events during those days like Willmar Rails Baseball games and Golden Gloves boxing that drew huge crowds.  And, of course, it was pre-TV, so kids ran free without parental worries.  It was a safe place to grow up and learn.

It was against this backdrop that Mattson first became interested in art and painting as a 3^rd or 4^th grader.  He attended the Willmar public schools through his graduation from Willmar High School.  He then went on to Willmar Community college and St Cloud State University for both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.  Mattson notes that at SCSU, he met David Brown, a painting professor who took him under his wing and assured him constantly in those formative years and remained his life-long friend and mentor and champion of his work.  Mattson states, “He was my ‘art daddy’.”

Mattson was hired at Willmar State Jr. College in 1967 at the age of 24.  After one year he was drafted and spent four years in the Navy.  He returned in 1972 and taught until his retirement in 2003.  Mattson has stayed in this area because of his love for teaching and the realization that this might be the best way for him to make a contribution to the arts.

Ted Sherarts, art professor at St. Cloud State University states, “For the past 30 years, I’ve thought Bob Mattson was among the best Minnesota painters, but after seeing his exhibition at St. John’s University last year, I’ve come to believe that among nonrepresentational artists he IS the best.  What dawned on me then was his remarkable ability to simultaneously ravish the eye and stimulate the mind, a phenomena rare in a contemporary scene where usually one of those goals is ambitious enough.”

Mattson has some advice for aspiring artists.  He says to be very careful.  “A study in the 80's revealed that only one percent of students pursuing art seriously as a career choice thought they'd make any money.  It’s been said that it’s a wonderful way of life (it is!) but a very poor way to make a living.  Sometimes you get lucky as I did, and find an art related career that can support your "habit."  Of all my college classmates only three of us continue to create art.  Only one of us is able to support himself solely through his art.  It isn't me, by the way.”

Mattson states that it is difficult to name his favorite artists since he admires so many.  Teaching art history all of his life made it difficult to not appreciate many, many artists from all periods and of all persuasions.  He likes all good art and artists.  From a philosophical or theoretical vantage point he was influenced most by the Formalists.  To name just a few artists that were maybe more important in shaping him than others he  listed Mondrian, deKooning, Raushenberg, Ad Reinhardt, Cy Twombly, Guston, Diebenkorn and others but he has learned enormous amounts about the nature and practice of art from countless others.

Mattson has many ways to keep himself curious and occupied.  He likes to make things.  He reads a lot of different kinds of things both fiction and nonfiction as well as poetry.  He has an uneducated interest in music of all kinds,  And he is incurably addicted to fly fishing and fly tying.  He also makes art for about 6 hours each day although art is not his hobby.

Mattson is married to Marjorie Nilssen, an artist of enormous talent.  He states, “She is lovely gifted, funny, kind and a devoted wife.”  He also has a delightfully fine son, Ted, of whom he is extremely proud, a daughter-in-law, Nina who is his dear and cherished friend and two beautiful grandsons, Theo, age 9 and Tristan, soon to be 1.

In an exhibit in which his work is currently included he provided the following brief statement.  It is not inclusive of all of his feelings and beliefs regarding his work but it is sufficient for the time being.  "I have always felt, and still do, that art was a search for the sublime via the vehicles of beauty and mystery.  I have looked for it in odd places often using strange materials and unusual methods.  If I can stay out of my own way long enough to discover it I am always delightfully surprised.  I have been able to surprise myself with some regularity for about fifty years."

We congratulate Robert Mattson on his contributions to the arts in Southwest Minnesota and upon being awarded the SMAHC Prairie Star Award for 2009.  This award will be presented at the SMAHC Annual Celebration which will be held on October 24, 2009 at the Willmar Conference Center (Willmar Holiday Inn).

Many thanks to Robert Mattson for contributing to this story.