Michael Willie
Gallery Affiliations: Hoffman LaChance Contemporary
Region: Midwest
My paintings combine architectural remnants of particular cities gathered during brief encounters. Whether utilizing a common roof tile from Rome, South African domestic gates, baseball stadiums, or Philadelphia row houses, the references from these locations become transformed within abstract painting. Reflecting on the socialization process of living in a new city, I consider my work to be analogous to this ever-evolving sociological experience. The initial read of each painting is heightened by the amount of time a viewer pays attention. The subtlety in the surface forces the viewer to decelerate and contemplate the lived experience of a painting.