Michele Dangelo

A critical component of my work is a basic icon – a house, boat, or dress –infused with vigorous but reserved energy. These complex and contemplative, yet simple and subtle images reflect my choice to concentrate on ordinary objects and invite me to instinctually create a multi-generational storehouse of memory. I try to give my work a sense of direction and eloquence by using geometrical simplification to amplify the feelings of emptiness around each object.

Abstracted images and mark making, in combination with innovative use of color, create the essential elements of my work. My style may be described as a spontaneous but conscious attempt to penetrate the hidden intimacy of ordinary objects. I delight in surprising viewers with paintings that are motionless in time and devoid of any particular narrative, however there is always a different story to tell – leaving unsaid that which the viewer longs to discover.

I work to realize the correct color/shade to convey feeling by pushing conventional stereotypes, at times using orange to trigger a pensive response or red to subdue rather than ignite. Palette knives, rags and other materials add texture and depth creating surfaces that might be described as layers of tonal memories.

My work is collected by many who feel that everyday objects ignite imagination and create a sense of connectivity. Because the forms are more conceptual than real they reflect the ambiguous and evoke ambivalence triggering a longing for pleasure, comfort, security and permanence – while transcending borders, cultures and socioeconomic class I remain challenged by the notions of free expression and a distinct hand to create work that has more to do with the viewer’s perception than my intention.