HELLO MICHAEL, WELCOME TO THE 4BYSIX FAMILY AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CHAT TO US ABOUT YOUR ART PRACTICE AND THE PIECE YOU HAVE MADE FOR US. 

TO BEGIN, CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOUR EARLY FASCINATION WITH DESIGN AND COLLAGE SHAPE THE DISTINCTIVE STYLE TO YOUR PAINTINGS WE SEE TODAY?

I’ve always been drawn to sculpture, but I’ve never really had the studio space or opportunity to make that work consistently. I took a few painting classes when I was younger, but never felt particularly comfortable with painting from a technical standpoint, so collage became a good in-between for me.

I think both collage and design really informed the way I eventually learned to paint. My paintings tend to be fairly flat, with figures, objects and landscapes that can feel placed or assembled rather than rendered in a traditional way. I think that’s why people sometimes connect the work to folk art. I understand the connection, but I don’t really think of the work in those terms. For me, it comes more from building an image the way I would a collage.

ACROSS YOUR WORK’S WIDE ARRAY OF CREATURES AND NARRATIVE MOTIFS, IS THERE A PARTICULAR ANIMAL, FOLK TALE, OR SYMBOLIC MOTIF THAT YOU FIND YOURSELF OFTEN DRAWN TO?

It’s less about a particular animal or symbol for me and more about the relationships between them. I’m interested in imagining them as more sentient, with relationships and ways of communicating that are similar to our own. I like the idea of a parallel world existing in plain view that we don’t fully understand.

GIVEN THAT MUCH OF YOUR WORK DRAWS FROM NATURAL MOTIFS AND ANIMALS, WHAT IS IT ABOUT THESE SUBJECTS WHICH COMPELS YOU TO CHANNEL NARRATIVE THROUGH? 

Animals can make a painting feel familiar and strange at the same time. They can be characters without having to explain exactly who they are or what they’re doing. I like that ambiguity, and I try to maintain it when I include people as well. I don’t want to define who they are or what they’re doing too specifically.

AS YOUR EARLY INTEREST IN COLLAGE CLEARLY SHAPED YOUR ARTISTIC STYLE, HOW HAS THAT BACKGROUND INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU CURRENTLY WORK IN MIXED MEDIA?

I tend to work pretty intuitively and use whatever makes sense for the image. I’ll draw, paint, cover things up, add something back in or change materials completely. I like when you can see some of that history in the finished piece.

YOU RECENTLY MADE A NEW PIECE FOR 4BYSIX’S VEHICLES FOR CHANGE INITIATIVE, DID ANY PARTICULAR EVENTS OR FOLK TALES INFLUENCE YOUR APPROACH WHEN CREATING THIS WORK?

I have a number of themes that I return to and reexamine from time to time, and this is one of them. It’s based on an idea I had about gods being buried and eventually discovered or unearthed. So there wasn’t a particular event or story that influenced this piece. It’s a continuation of an idea I’ve been exploring for a while.

DID THE PLASTIC NATURE OF THIS UNCONVENTIONAL CANVAS AFFECT THE WAY YOU INCORPORATED STORYTELLING OR IMAGERY?

Not really. I had to alter my process slightly to work with the plastic surface, but it didn’t change the imagery.

GIVEN THAT YOU HAVE WORKED ON VARIOUS SURFACES LIKE WOOD, CANVAS, AND BURLAP, HOW IMPORTANT IS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND REPURPOSING MATERIALS IN YOUR PRACTICE?

I’d probably describe myself as a mid-level sustainable artist. I buy used burlap coffee bags from my local coffee shop for a dollar and sometimes paint on or use found materials, but I also buy cheap pre-stretched canvases and panels in bulk and order linen from Europe on eBay. The reality is that most conventional art materials aren’t particularly environmentally friendly. Acrylics contain plastic polymers, and oil paints, solvents, spray varnishes and other materials all come with an environmental cost. Unless you’re working entirely with natural pigments and materials and being extremely careful about waste, I think it’s difficult to call an art practice truly sustainable.

I try to live as sustainably as I reasonably can, but I think it’s also important to focus on choices that have a larger impact. If I were going to advocate for one personal change, it would be to stop eating animals. The environmental impact of animal agriculture is significant, and for me the ethical argument is just as important. So while I may reuse a coffee bag instead of buying a new surface, I try to keep that in perspective.

LASTLY, HOW HAS STUDIO LIFE BEEN TREATING YOU? ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON ANY NEW AND EXCITING PROJECTS?

I just wrapped a few solo shows for the year and have a few group shows coming up. Beyond that, I’m working toward shows in 2027 and 2028, along with a handful of side projects. Between that, family and my day job, I’m mostly just trying to stay on top of things. Thanks again for including me. I’m really happy to be a part of 4BYSIX.