From fanged cats and all-seeing ravens to anthropomorphized botanicals and disembodied faces, Michael McGrath's whimsical works nod to the flat, symbol-rich compositions of people artwork or “naive” portray. His blended media works mix supplies similar to graphite, oil paint and oil stick, ink and acrylic on a wide range of surfaces together with wooden, canvas and burlap.
Impressed by the expansive scenes of up to date artists Peter Doig and Mamma Andersson and self-taught artists Henry Darger (1892-1973) and William Hawkins (1895-1990), McGrath harnessed a story strategy in his personal observe. “I made a decision to experiment with figures and tales in my portray,” he tells Colossal. He additionally counts Jim Henson amongst his influences.
Populated with a variety of characters, from bushes with alarmed expressions to little black, fairy-like creatures with bulbous wings and lengthy legs, McGrath delves into mysterious, emotional tales with plots as enigmatic as they’re supernatural .
The artist's curiosity in portray advanced from an early fascination with design, significantly album covers and promoting in magazines similar to Flip and Thrasher. “I by no means had the endurance to develop my classical expertise, so I targeted on dimensional work and collage for some time till I lastly determined to speculate extra time in portray,” he says.
McGrath's work will probably be a part of a web based group present with MePaintsMe, Slight of Handwhich opens on November 12. In February, he will even have items on view in a gaggle present at Court docket Tree Collective in Brooklyn. Discover extra on his web site and Instagram.
