Wednesday July 2, 2008
By Mike • Jul 7th, 2008 • Category: Micheal SwattWednesday July, 2, 2008. Live Painting at OHM Lounge.
I arrived at the bar at 9pm to about 15 people enjoying cocktails. I immediately set to laying out supplies, moving furniture, paintings and preparing to start. By 9:30 I was under way on the second night of setting the right background. By 11:30 i had a solid background and their was roughly 60 people now at the bar coming and going and watching the paint progression. I had several High school art teachers approach me about the work, almost stunned to see this going on. They stayed right until the end, and promised to be back next week. Several others approached us and asked questions. “What are you doing”, “Do you get paid to do this”, “How do you go about painting, do you sketch things out or just work and see what it becomes”? Around 2am i began packing up supplies and putting everything back in order.
Mike is a self taught artist. I materialize ideas to encourage interaction, reflection and ultimately beautify space. Initially I was inspired by NYC and Washington D.C. galleries and museums. I was influenced by the use of space, the Curation, presentation and the diversity of works.
My paintings strive to evoke a relationship between chaos and control. I use a systematic process of pattern and arithmetic with alternating fields of color. I allow the patterns I create to interlace, resulting in both diverging layers of airiness and premeditated geometry which together promote movement.
I choose to keep the entire process in my full control. I build and stretch each canvas by hand then prime, sand, paint and finish the edges. With each canvas I begin with either a colorfield or a system of shapes and colors for a background. From this background I move toward setting patterns of specific lines, shapes and angles. Last I incorporate color correction and color reversal in select areas.
I am currently creating my art in a new format. In the past I have produced primarily in a studio setting. Since December 2006 I have been creating in front of an audience. I paint on stage at night clubs, galleries, museums, private functions and outdoor exhibitions. Performance painting allows me to draw energy and stimulus from a crowd of people. Creating in this format grants me the opportunity to interact with other people, and it encourages feedback and a personal glance into my artistic process.
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