THE SPACE BETWEEN US
by Michael Anderson
March 18 - May 23, 2021
Rochester artist Michael Anderson presents a new series of oil pastel drawings that he has been creating over the past 18 months. The works are presented in a manner that is intended to help viewers understand non-objective art, or, pure abstraction.
Demonstration: Saturday, April 10, 11 am - 1 pm
Artist Talk: Friday, April 23, 6 - 7 pm
Space is limited to 10 in-person guests for the artist talk. All attendees will be required to wear masks for the duration of the event. The talk will be also be available via Zoom and recorded for future viewing.
Artist Statement
What began as an exploration of color, shape, and the space between us, ended as a statement on how our lives are interconnected.
Prior to beginning the series for the grant, I was working with blues and greens, often with circles of warm colors. The work became textural as I layered oil pastel over and over to find what color worked for each shape. The background tended to be dark, cold. Some circles would overlap or touch in small groups, but they were always separate from each other. These were created in 2018 through early 2020. While these works of pure abstraction may not tell a story they speak to the division in our country and the animosity between our cultural tribes.
The SEMAC Grant – Applying for the grant changed the way I view my work. The application forced me to consider my work within the context of our community, not just as an individual pursuit. If I am creating work for my community, what message do I want to send?
Changing Times – After I was awarded the grant, and while I waited to begin the work, 2020 happened. First, the pandemic and then protests against institutional racism. My work is not directly about these events, but it is heavily influenced by them and in surprising ways. Both the pandemic and the protests showed me how connected we are. It is in everybody’s best interest to have a healthy community. It is in everybody’s best interest that all people are treated with respect, that no community is marginalized.
My work became brighter and lighter with the realization that we are all, truly, connected. My individual circles began to reach out for each other. The spaces I created were bright and hopeful.
This exhibition is intended to showcase a series that I have been working on over the past 18 months. It also meant to help people understand non-objective art, or pure abstraction, a term that I prefer.
About the Artist
Mike Anderson is currently exploring pure abstraction while pushing the limits of oil pastel, by applying the medium in many layers, while working each with painting knives and blending tools to achieve intense colors and textures.
He studied studio art at the University of Minnesota, Morris. After graduation, he spent years in Minneapolis working in restaurants and painting abstracts. In 2006 he went back to school to earn his teaching license and spent the next 8 years teaching at British international schools in Thailand, where he met his wife, Pat, and had a daughter, Nina. In 2015 they settled in Rochester. This stability has allowed Mike to recommit to creating art. He has been exploring pure abstraction in this manner since 2019.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.
Cover image: Through, 2021. Oil pastel on sanded paper. 20 x 30 inches.
