September 27, 2010
Haynes Galleries Presents Contemporary Realism:
The Work of Philip Michelson
Contemporary Realism Exhibition Focuses On Simpler Times And The Long Lost Days of Summer October 1 through October 29, 2010
THOMASTON - Haynes Galleries is pleased to present Contemporary Realism: The Work Of Philip Michelson, opening October 1, 2010, at 91 Main Street in Thomaston, Maine. During the month of October, featured artist Philip Michelson’s solo exhibition, Contemporary Realism, brings to life refreshingly uncomplicated images of slightly worn vintage toys and discarded objects. In this exhibition, presents forgotten toys as painted icons, reminding us of the simpler days childhood-a time that existed before the advent of Wii and Xbox.
Californina artist and noted contemporary realist, Philip Michelson, breaths new life into the things often forgotten or discarded by presenting them as iconic portraits. Since the 1970s, Michelson has been fascinated with making paintings that look almost as real as photographs. His subjects, presented as portraits, are given personalities so that they transcend their previous lives as mere tin toys and worn out baseballs. His methodical and precise approach in his technique of applying acrylic paint to board is arduous and painstaking. Attention is given to every scratch, chip, peel, and scuff on the surfaces of each object, as if to capture the essence of every line or wrinkle in a face, so that the viewer will ‘feel’ the coolness of the tin or the smoothness of the leather. Not only do Philip Michelson’s paintings delight and awe, they change the way we look at things.
"Philip Michelson’s work has been called both representational and Photo-Realist. While his works do represent everyday images and at first glance could almost be mistaken for photographs, they are really a composite of both real and imagined surfaces rendered with the kind of contrast and detail characteristics of photographs. The popular idea is that the photographs depict ‘reality.’ But artists have always known that ‘reality’ is subjective and changes with light, point of view, and mood. A photograph, being frozen in time, has very little relationship to reality as we experience it. Neither does a painting. “ -Susan Stowens, American Artist Magazine
For more than thirty years, Michelson’s art continues to draw new fans and collectors. With works in major museums such as the Brooklyn Museum of Art in New York and the Smithsonian Institute for American Art in Washington, DC, his paintings never cease to wow his viewers. His art has been persued by many important corporate collections around the country, including both IBM and Apple Corporations in addition to numerous public and private collections.
Contemporary Realism: The Work Of Philip Michelson will be featured at Haynes Galleries October 1st through October 29, 2010. This exhibition runs concurrent with the KARSH Exhibition. Haynes Galleries is located at 91 Main Street in Thomaston, Maine. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10AM-5PM. Both exhibits are open to the public free of charge.