Pumps
July 1, 2026, through November 26, 2026
Taking inspiration from mechanical pumps, Matt Moyer’s mixed-media sculptures abstract industrial forms to create visual metaphors of the human heart. His work is firmly rooted within traditional craft as it pertains to both art and skilled trades, his creative works all share an industrial sensibility. This stems from his blue-collar upbringing in Moline, Illinois. Moyer’s creative research takes him in several different directions, ranging from functional pottery to mixed media ceramic sculpture and large outdoor welded steel installations.
Moyer writes “I have always been interested in exploring the creativity, ingenuity and complicated history found in mechanical things. I believe well-used mechanical artifacts contain inherent beauty, creativity and humility that connect them to the people who have worked on them over time.Pumps are at the center of modern architecture and the human circulatory system. I think of the implied history that is contained in these pumps as evidence of memory, endearment and a record of perseverance. The human body is an elegant mechanical system and with this body of work I would like to extend the tribute I pay to those who tirelessly keep mechanical systems operating to include those who help maintain our physical bodies. Therefore, I would like to dedicate this exhibition to my childhood oncologist, Dr. Raymond Tannous, who passed away earlier this year.”
Matt Moyer was a pediatric oncology patient under the care of Dr. Ray Tannous at UIHC when he was nine years old. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Illinois State University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Missouri. Between undergraduate and graduate school, he served as Artist in Residence at the Herbert Hoover National Historical site in West Branch, Iowa as part of the National Park Service Artist in Residence Program. Matt has taught at several colleges and universities in Missouri and now maintains his active ceramics and sculpture studio at his home in Columbia, Missouri.
