Michael Wyshock Opens at Alfstad& Contemporary
Devil’s Swamp: Paintings, Constructions, Serigraphs, Drawings & Videos
SARASOTA, FL. – American artist Michael Wyshock, unveils a new exhibition, Devil’s Swamp: Paintings, Constructions, Serigraphs, Drawings & Videos, at Alfstad& Contemporary in Sarasota, March 3–27. Influenced by the impact and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans, Devil’s Swamp features five never-before-seen, large-scale paintings and constructions, mid-size drawings, animation and videos and a series of prints created in collaboration with Alfstad& Contemporary.
“Devil’s Swamp is a cutting-edge show that highlights Michael’s combination of intellectual and intuitive color techniques,” says Sam Alfstad of Alfstad& Contemporary. “We are honored that he collaborated with us to create serigraphy prints, a medium he had not previously worked in. The 8-layer screen prints are technically and visually stunning.”
“Devil’s Swamp comes from within my soul,” says Michael Wyshock. “When you see an event like Katrina – and struggle through the aftermath – it becomes very personal, especially experiencing years of broken promises and redevelopment plans that never materialized. Those events were my inspiration to think and work in a different mindset – they influenced me to create this art.”
Trained as a painter, Wyshock’s creative process delves into many forms of art. The works on display in Devil’s Swamp reveal the influence of collaborations with a variety of artists, including poets, composers, punk rockers, scientists and animators. The theme that results is based on pixels, fractals and flat colors artfully manipulated.
More On Michael Wyshock: Michael Wyshock (b. 1978) is an American artist who has worked in New Orleans, Arkansas, New York and Sarasota. He creates artworks by fracturing color in still and moving compositions. Currently teaching art at the Ringling College of Art and Design, he has received the Pollock Krasner Award, Ringling Tower Award, Vermont Studio Center Full Fellowship, Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Award, Louisiana Arts Council Award, University of Central Arkansas Research Award, State University of New York Research Award and the Florida State University Distinguished Alumni Award.
Mr. Wyshock has also been a three-time resident artist at the prestigious Hermitage Artist Retreat. “It is truly an artists’ heaven,” he says. “The Hermitage gave me the time and space to work, think and explore ideas on a more conceptual level than ever before.”