Matthew Carden plays with ideas of taste, pleasure, celebrity, and popular culture. Working with intricate detail and edible materials (such as cakes for vast oceans, and mountains made of broccoli), using shifts of scale, and an elaborate studio system involving many technicians, Carden turns banal objects into whimsical scenes and statements about our culture. His photographs borrow widely from photo-historical techniques and styles; although often seen as ironic or tongue-in-cheek, Carden insists his practice is earnest and optimistic. “I’ve always loved Surrealism and Dada and Pop, so I just incorporate my life experiences and go with that,” he says. Many of the series that brought him fame were inspired by the popular culture of Los Angeles and Hollywood in the 1980's and 70's where he grew up. 

 

His work is shown and collected internationally.