Page 166 - Museum

MICHAEL GRIESGRABER

Lives and works in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
www.mgriesgraber.com

The basis and inspiration for this series of paintings was the artist and reciprocal relation of color-to-color that produces a phenomenon of a
teacher Hans Hofmann. His paintings as well as his essays on art have more mysterious order. This new phenomenon is psychological.
had a significant influence on my work. This is especially true of my
recent work, which is mainly based on two of Hofmann’s statements; My colors are free of objective context and are subjects in themselves.
“In nature, light creates color; in painting, color creates light. In painting, Colors stimulate certain moods in us. Colors awaken emotions in
color is the real building medium. When color is richest, form is fullest.” accordance with their configuration. As Hofmann states, “The whole
and “A painting must have form and light unity. It must light up from the world, as we experience it visually, comes to us through the mystic realm
inside through the intrinsic qualities that color relations offer.” * of color. Our entire being in nourished by this mystic quality of color that
likewise finds expression in a work of art.”
I have tried to convert Hofmann’s comments on color and light from the
physical into the surreal ideal. The technical problem is how to transform Each painting here is based on three primary colors that are combined
the materials of paint and canvas into the sphere of the spirit. to establish the works atmosphere. Within this framework I capture the
dynamic energy of wet-on-wet “brushwork” by incorporating “stripe-like
The composition and function of color are two of the most important motions to create the images. Short strokes in a multiplicity of colors
factors in determining the qualitative content of my paintings, the applied like graffiti give the paintings vitality and energy.

 INTO THE VOID, 2015 ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 40X40 IN. | 100X100 CM.  MELTING STRIPES, 2015 ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 36X36 IN. | 91,5X91,5 CM.

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