Category: Press

Lehigh Valley Press recently published a feature on my Atari 2600 video game Route 22 Rampage, a retro cartridge inspired by the joys and frustrations of driving Route 22 through the Lehigh Valley.

The article looks at the history of the Atari 2600, the surprisingly active modern Atari homebrew community, and how Route 22 Rampage was designed using just 128 bytes of memory. It also covers the hands-on process behind the game—everything from programming in Batari Basic and assembly language to 3D-printing cartridge cases and creating the artwork.

As I joked in the article, the game includes “traffic, potholes and just enough frustration to feel like home,” while still being more fun than the real commute.

The piece also touches on my background in photography, electronics, and film work, and how those interests fed into making a physical cartridge-based game in a mostly digital world.

Read the full article by Dave Howell at Lehigh Valley Press:
https://www.lvpnews.com/20260103/matthew-blum-got-game-with-his-route-22-video-game

In November 2025, WFMZ-TV featured Route 22 Rampage, my Atari-style video game inspired by the stop-and-go reality of driving Route 22 through the Lehigh Valley.

The segment highlighted the game’s retro design and local flavor, from its simple racing mechanics to details like traffic congestion, potholes, and an enthusiastic horn that adds to the chaos. The goal is straightforward: weave through traffic and make it to Allentown without crashing—easier said than done.

The story was filmed inside my Allentown workshop, where the entire project came together. I designed and coded the game, produced the cartridges using a 3D printer, handled the marketing, and created the cover art. The cover image features a classic Nova photographed at the Ritz car show at the downtown fairgrounds.

The report also noted the game’s intentionally limited run,just 42 physical cartridges along with the option to play the game digitally for free online.

Watch and read the original WFMZ story:
https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehighvalley/lehigh-county/allentown-area/allentown-man-creates-route-22-inspired-atari-style-video-game/article_64bd1ec7-0e2b-4162-915c-743f58128418.html

In December 2022, Lehigh Valley Press featured my photography exhibition Nature and Machine, shown at the Rotunda Gallery in Bethlehem.

The exhibition explored the tension and balance between organic forms and human-made objects through traditional photographic processes. The work included palladium, cyanotype, albumen, ambrotype, gumoil, and silver gelatin prints—each photograph hand-printed in the darkroom using historically rooted techniques.

As noted in the article, my approach treats the camera as a tool chosen specifically for the subject, with every image individually printed rather than digitally reproduced. Several works on view were made using unconventional equipment, including pinhole cameras fabricated on a 3D printer.

One highlighted piece, Pinhole Trees (2021), was photographed at Lake Muhlenberg in Cedar Beach Park using a custom pinhole camera and a long exposure. The “Nature” side of the gallery featured trees, wildlife, shells, and blossoms, while the “Machine” side included images of vintage vehicles, musical instruments, industrial forms, and the Bethlehem Steel plant.

The exhibition was sponsored by the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission and ran through December 21, 2022.

Read the original article by Ed Courrier at Lehigh Valley Press: https://www.lvpnews.com/20221223/gallery-view-rotunda-nature-and-machine

In November 2022, The Morning Call covered my exhibition Nature and Machine, shown at the Rotunda Gallery.

The exhibition presented 30 photographs created using traditional and historical photographic processes, including palladium, cyanotype, and silver gelatin printing. The work explored contrasts between organic forms and engineered objects, emphasizing material, texture, and craft.

Highlighted pieces included Iris, printed in palladium, and 1956 Lincoln Premiere, produced as a silver gelatin print. The show invited viewers to experience photography as a physical, hands-on process rather than a purely digital medium.

Natures and Machine opened on November 13, 2022, and remained on view through December 21.

https://www.wdiy.org/show/lehigh-valley-arts-salon/2022-10-18/matt-blum-kate-hughes-and-the-many-mediums-of-storytelling-lv-arts-salon

In October 2022, I appeared on LV Arts Salon, hosted by Silagh White, alongside actor and comedian Kate Hughes. The episode explored how artists across different disciplines approach storytelling, whether they’re working visibly in the spotlight or supporting other creatives behind the scenes.

The conversation looked at how photography, performance, publishing, and collaboration intersect in the Lehigh Valley arts community, and how stories take shape differently depending on medium, audience, and intent.

During the episode, we also discussed my photography exhibition Nature and Machine, which opened shortly afterward at the Rotunda Gallery. The show examined the relationship between organic forms and engineered objects through traditional photographic processes, and ran from November 13 through December 21, 2022.

Source: LV Arts Salon — “Matt Blum, Kate Hughes, and the Many Mediums of Storytelling”
(Published October 18, 2022)

In February 2022, Lehigh Valley Press reviewed Paradoxes of Time, a group photography exhibition shown at Arthaus at the Mezz. The exhibition featured work by photographers Gary Asteak, Matthew Blum, and Peter Gourniak, and was curated by Deborah Rabinsky.

The exhibition explored different interpretations of time through photographic process, subject matter, and presentation. Gary Asteak’s work documented life in Krapivna, a small rural village in Russia that appeared largely untouched by modernity. His photographs, created during an Earthwatch project, focused on the daily lives, traditions, and quiet resilience of the villagers.

My contribution included Winter Tree (2020), a palladium print depicting a snow-covered tree frozen in place. Although the image originated digitally, it was printed using a palladium process dating back to the 1890s, creating a visual tension between contemporary capture and historical technique.

Peter Gourniak’s photographs examined industrial environments, particularly abandoned sections of the Bethlehem Steel plant. His work combined digital photography with experimental printing methods on aluminum and other materials, emphasizing texture, surface, and abstraction. Several of his pieces intentionally avoided titles, allowing viewers to bring their own interpretations to the work.

Together, the exhibition highlighted how photographic tools—both old and new—can be used to reflect on memory, industry, tradition, and the passage of time.

The exhibition concluded on February 5, 2022.

Read the original article by Ed Courrier at Lehigh Valley Press: https://www.lvpnews.com/20220211/gallery-view-paradoxes-of-time-photographed