Artist Peter Michel creates art that evokes a positive spirit and makes the viewer smile. His brightly colored, fun and zany sculptures are a delight to see. Enjoy more of his work by visiting his website.
“A Shortcut to Happiness—Dancing” Painted Wood, 14.5” x 19.5” x 6”
Back in the seventies when I lived in Boston, I heard a talk by Sister Corita Kent. What I came away with from that talk was that a wonderful role for art to play is to “bring the balloons to the party” that we are having—to create as a way of celebrating life.
“A Place of Healing” (Baystate Children’s Hospital, Springfield, MA) Painted Aluminum, 13’6” x 10’6” x 22’4”
Art can be in service for our celebration. Art—whether a display, marker, emblem, or a symbol that stands for something and tells us to take notice, helps us pay attention to an important idea that we want to remember, to honor, to appreciate or to celebrate.
“Community as Family” (Beauchamp Library, Syracuse, NY) Painted Aluminum, 6’ x 6’ x 6’7”
In my case, this idea is a dream of the world as we would like it to be. A world where each person is valued and appreciated for their unique qualities and gifts, where they are supported by their communities to be the best that they can be, and contribute their gifts to making the world work for everyone.
“Support Circle Rainbow” (Cook Children’s Medical Ctr, Fort Worth, TX) Painted Wood, 42” x 42” x 1”
The rainbow colors I use symbolize both diversity and inclusion. The positions show the figures supporting each other. The circle, totem, and structure are formal devices that facilitate a unified composition of many elements and symbolize the unity of purpose that characterizes this community.
“so many selves is a man…” Painted Wood, 4’6” x 5’2.5” x 1’4”
How have I come to focus on my art as an expression of celebration? Over my many years, I’ve been inspired by nature, by many people, their writings and creations, and what they have done to illuminate our world so that we may engage with it and care for it and each other more fully.
“Honoring the Onondaga Creek” (Meachem Field, Syracuse, NY) Painted Aluminum, 3’10” x 12’ x 6’7”
A small sampling of my inspirations include the poetry of e.e. cummings (shows up in the titles of some of my work), Walt Whitman (see my website artist’s statement), Kahlil Gibran, Erich Fromm and The Art of Loving, the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and Paul Rudolph, the work of Werner Erhard, with the est training and the Hunger Project, the sculpture of Gustav Vigeland and Henry Moore, the art of Paul Klee, Gyorgy Kepes, the work of climate scientist, Jim Hansen and so many more.
“Sitting Folk Totem 3” Painted Wood, 10” x 27.5”
My training and practice as an architect have influenced the “how” of my work.
“Two are Halves of One” (Federal Reserve Bd, Washington, DC) Painted Aluminum, 3’10” x 4’2” x 9’9”
Since the mid-eighties, I have been using the computer in my architectural work as well as with my sculpture.
“Peace Garden Totem” (Thea Bowman House, Utica, NY) Painted Aluminum, 3’7” x 3’10” x 12’1”
I create a kit of parts from flat sheets and then assemble them into a 3D work in a manner similar to building a building. The works are cut with waterjet cutting technology.
“Coming Together” Painted Wood, 23.5” x 10”
The smaller works I paint myself. The public works involve a team of folks including a structural engineer, welders, painters, as well as other people to make the concrete form work, concrete finishers and installers. Sometimes a crane or a man-lift is needed. All this points to a community of folks making things work.
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