Files
Academic Level at Time of Creation
Senior
Date of Creation
Spring 4-24-2026
Artist Statement
Artist Statement Matthew Lopez
This collection of videos and posters was created with active duty members and veterans primarily in mind. The gallery installation invites viewers to sit, interact, and exist in the space. The setup encourages lingering, allowing laughter, silence, and reflection to coexist within the environment.
The first video parodies the earnest style of 1940s military training films. In it, I invented a fictional VA program called Operation S.U.R.G.E., using deadpan humor to highlight how absurd and disorienting college (and civilian life in general) can feel after leaving the military. The transition is ridiculous, and I wanted that absurdity to be front and center, while remaining relatable to veterans and anyone navigating a major shift in identity.
Peaches explores how the past and present refuse to stay separate. Subtle details, such as the smell of cigarettes, the grit of dust and sand, the texture of worn fabric, illustrate how a fleeting sensation can trigger an overwhelming flood of memory. The poem acts as narration, carrying the emotional weight of those sudden, uninvited returns to another time and place.
The prints take the form of vintage-style postcards and polaroids, with each post card bearing the phrase Wish You Were Here. This recurring message functions as a quiet, ironic nod to the ache many veterans feel after separation from service, the sense that the people left behind are still waiting, and that part of oneself is still back there too. The idea of memories is a nostalgic concept and in capturing this nostalgia I’ve directly mirrored it with Photos from home pinned up and stuck around the installation.
I began working in video because it’s the most direct way for me to tell stories. After years of drawing comics and building a career in illustration, photography, motion and sound felt like a natural evolution. Video allows me to merge narrative with atmosphere, sound, texture, and movement, working together to convey emotion without explanation.
Donny O’Malley, through Vet TV, captures the irreverent, deeply human (albeit, dark) side of military culture. His use of dark humor and absurdity allows veterans to confront their experiences through laughter and satire. In my piece Operation S.U.R.G.E., that same tone transforms confusion and alienation into comedic recognition highlighting how humor can connect people who feel disoriented by change.
War photographer and correspondent Joe Galloway, for his use of observation without embellishment. His documentation of conflict, its intimacy, chaos, and quiet shows how bearing witness can itself be an act of empathy.
Cole Thompson for his uncompromising creative independence. His stark, minimalist photography reminds me that simplicity often carries the most emotional depth.
Advisor/Mentor
Sarah Martin, Mike Martin
Description
installation, Video, Photograpgy.
Photo Credit
Photo/Video credit, Mr. Matthew W. Lopez
Recommended Citation
Lopez, matthew W. mr., "Operation Surge/Wish You Were Here" (2026). B.A./B.S. Practicum Group Exhibit (ART 499). 94.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art499/94