Michael Black

Artist Michael Black, living and working in Toronto area, puts a precise attention to abstract art nuances and creates his own unique style, levitating between hard-edge and post-painterly abstraction.

"My current practise involves working with abstract interpretations of landscape as well as abstraction in other forms." - on his website states artist Michael Black. However, when looking into his artworks, you don't immediately see the forms of nature or the clear landscape - all this is translated into abstract art language, where the letters, syllables, words and sentences become form, colour, line and texture. Michael talks about the all summer long-blooming flower and later shows his canvases depicting it. Instead of a realistic flower, you see artwork where there is more than the image of the flower.

It is the concept of it: the feeling of the flower; the colour of its scent, the fragile petals in a symbol of a chaotic spread of paint; its the whole life, and the impact of those who see it.

While looking at Michael Black's artworks, you need not only see his paintings as abstract art, with hard-edge interruptions and post-painterly abstraction endeavours. His paintings tell you the story of nature's simplicity and complexity. "Remnant" series depicts the rustic elements, symbolizing the forgotten things. In the "Sand Paintings" series artist uses natural sand, creating a solid tactile sensation and leans to the ephemeral art style. "Organic Form" series lets chaos and the accident play the main game, while the "Old Stories" series is created with precision and sharp linear details.

***

Michael J.B. Black graduated from the Ontario College of Art (now OCADU) in 1984, and holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of Toronto. Michael has shown his work in Toronto, Hamilton, Charlottetown, Creemore, Thornhill and Peterborough. His work is held in several private collections. Michael lives with his wife in Durham Region.