Sunday, November 20, 2011

Visited Michael Wynne's Studio

Had an opportunity to visit my friend and artist Michael Wynne at his studio in Kirvin, Texas.  If you are not familiar with Michael's work, he pushes the envelope on several fronts in what appears to be several styles.   Michael's work is the story of his life from school, farmer, gallery representation, museum exhibitions, to stay at home father and now creating works influenced by his surroundings in Kirvin.  

Pissing Calvin paintings, the large yellow paintings

Recent small works on canvas with "Brush Muscle" neon

I first saw the rubber stamp paintings in 1999 at Richland College and they have stuck with me since.  I was very anxious and excited to revisit these paintings.  I was just as captivated this time as in 1999. I will never tire of seeing these small paintings and hope to have more opportunites.  What looks like a nice little monochromatic minimal painting becomes something completely different as you approach it. You are either laughing out loud or steaming mad and offended as you stomp away. Either way, if you appreciate art, this is art to experience in person.


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Abscess (9/12/09), house paint, acrylic, pencil on canvas, 6' x 4' (photo by Michael Wynne)

This was also my first opportunity to see Michael's other work in person.  Today, Abscess, was my favorite of the larger paintings.  This is one of the "Pissing Calvin" paintings that turns pop art on its head and one that I have thought a lot about.  If you have never been in Kirvin, Texas and this was my first visit, you will be taken aback as I was.  The town appeared to me to be disappearing.  In my mind I felt this was a painting of Kirvin, Texas.

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