The Matrix Poster 2021

This "Matrix" poster, made by Robert Sammelin sometime in the 20th century, is all about that moment when the world shifts, doesn’t it? It’s like he’s caught Neo mid-air, suspended between one reality and another. I can imagine Sammelin at his desk, tweaking each line, deciding how much shadow to give, how much to leave to our imaginations. Look at those tentacle-like cords wrapping around the broken ground—they’re so physical. They remind me of Guston’s bulbous forms, or maybe even Twombly’s scribbles, but with a digitized edge. It has this really cool, almost flat surface, but then you get drawn into the depth of the moment. It’s not about perfection. It's more about that raw, almost awkward feeling of trying to capture something that's always moving, always changing. That tension—that’s where the real juice is, right? Like a painter working through a problem, trying to find that balance between control and letting go. It makes me want to pick up a brush.