STATEMENT "What I particularly admire in Matthew Courtney's approach to clay is his honesty to it's essential nature. He seems to revel in all of clay's characteristics and foibles-fragility, multiple production, spontaneity, the various steps of the process of working and firing a piece, clays annoying tendency to assert itself at inopportune moments - and somehow manages to show all to best advantage. The easy simplicity with which he uses all of these things at once in a piece is a delight to see."
Statement written by sculptor Bruno Laverdiere, for the show "Artists Choose Artists" at the Lake George Arts Project, Lake George NY.