Artist Profile: Matthew Giarratana (Precarious Whimsy)

Overview:
Working under the moniker Precarious Whimsy, Matthew Giarratana is a multidisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn whose practice explores queerness, instability, and identity through playful yet deeply reflective forms. Incorporating materials like stone, plaster, wood, watercolor, and recycled objects, their work navigates the line between beauty and collapse—offering moments of respite and wonder in a chaotic world. Blending influences from Surrealism, Dadaism, and Process Art, Precarious Whimsy embraces material experimentation and emotional vulnerability to shape pieces that are both intimate and ephemeral.

Rooted in personal transition, both gendered and professional, their artistic journey has evolved from historical research to hands-on creation—guided by tactile memory, familial bonds, and a desire to transform internal turmoil into expressive form. The Studio Summer Residency represents their first formal step into the art world, offering space, structure, and support to develop their emerging voice, confront artistic anxieties, and deepen their connection to a creative community.