“I tell myself we are the only two people for miles. ‘Yes’, I thought I heard, as the wind gently rustled the leaves.”

You may recall that I served as a reviewer for the Los Angeles Center of Photography Exposure Reviews since I wrote two separate articles about the work I saw there (one at FRAMES and one here.) It's also how is how I found Whispering Eden by Matthew Finley. Although he was not one of the people I met with, I peeked through a few extra PDFs during my downtime there. When I saw this portfolio, I was overcome by how beautiful and sensitive this series was, and that same evening, I reached out to Finley to ask if I could show his series here. (Only later did I realize that I had also seen the Instagram documentation of this work from a summer ExLab exhibition at Foley Gallery and that I had remarked about how gorgeous the work was then, too.)

If you are familiar with Finley's other bodies of work, then you already know that no matter what camera or technique he uses, his work is always beautiful and always true to who he is as a man and a human. In many ways, through these various bodies of work, Finley has authored his biography visually. Because I also make work based on my life experiences, I am always most drawn to artists who create deeply personal works. I love finding the autobiography and soul-searching when looking at someone's art. I relate to the process—the catharsis and the reliving of past hurts that creating such work entails. As a viewer, I feel the lived emotions the creator has embedded in the frame via their story. Finley's work is authentically chronicled from his life experiences; his emotional life shoots out of the images like water pouring from a hydrant. But it's not shouting—it's softly whispering its secrets to the viewer.

I read an interview with Finley in PhotoLA that was written in 2021. Though he discussed earlier works, I found some of what he said relates equally well to Whispering Eden. Finley stated, "With photography, I try to tell personal stories about being gay in a way that I hope anyone can see parts of themselves in. Whether the photo series is about being true to who you really are and the struggles and joys that come with it, or the love and tenderness that can be created in a loving relationship, I hope most people can identify with them and walk away with a deeper understanding that we are all the same. That our fears and desires are universal. After my struggles with self-acceptance, I have learned that it's all about connecting to others and my art gives me a tool to do that."

Via his creation of works full of tenderness and sensitivity, Finley more than shows us that the personal is often universal; that while we all may be different on the outside, our essential humanness knows no such boundaries.

Hats off to you, Matthew. I can't wait to see what you do next!

 —Diana Nicholette Jeon

Whispering Eden

Whispering Eden is a meditation on the lesson of nature’s subtle tenacity at a time of personal struggle. As life regains a sense of ‘normalcy,’ I feel off balance. Hate seems to have doubled down. The world feels like it is moving backwards, and my chest is tight. I need to get out. As the yearning for nature's healing touch intensifies, crowded city parks and trails are not enough to drown out the dark voices in my head. Then, a relative’s home and garden becomes a timely sanctuary—a haven of resilience, undeterred by human hands.

We sink into this brief oasis, my husband and I. He, my companion, keystone and muse. His patience with me is outmatched only by the nature that surrounds us here. He lovingly plays out my feelings for all to see as I attempt to write my story in light. I tell myself we are the only two people for miles. ‘Yes’, I thought I heard, as the wind gently rustled the leaves. 

In their home, nature’s decorative icons surround me like forgotten offerings, all at once familiar and hollow. We place these symbols of nature on our walls, laden with centuries of symbolism, while using those same walls to keep the real thing at bay. Outside, the garden's gentle fortitude persists, oblivious to our contradictions and dramas, entwining the cycles of flowering and decay. Whispering Eden ponders this diametric dance while appealing to nature, an ever-present example of acceptance and growth.

—Matthew Finley

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Artist Bio

Matthew Finley (b. 1972) uses his photography to express himself and connect to the world around him. He explores his intimate emotions through gesture, line and performance. The work addresses issues such as his coming out story, intimate relationships, and searching for peace in our tumultuous world. Based in Los Angeles, Finley’s work has shown in solo and group shows in multiple galleries across the U.S. and he has pieces in the permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College Chicago among others. He views his work as a way to connect to those who see some part of themselves reflected in it.

See more of his work at: mfinleyphoto.com

Diana Nicholette Jeon is an award-winning artist based in Honolulu, HI, who works primarily with lens-based media. Her work has been seen both internationally and nationally in solo and group exhibitions. Jeon holds an MFA from UMBC.