Mike Seiler
These works were created in a traditional manner, using wood stretchers with heavy gessoed canvas, however that is where the tradition ends.
I use asphalt and alkyd as my primary mediums. I have chosen asphalt because as asphalt’s nature is volatile and has the potential
for unexpected change. So life, ever changing brings both good and ill. Asphalt, smooth and shiny, also reflects the colors of its
surroundings. We likewise, in our personal journey we reflect the “colors” of our experiences. The alkyds provide some chemical changes
and instability to the work. On occasion, color is added to signify some emotional element, to demonstrate the very nature of redemption
of a particular situation.
Like the early German Expressionists and the Neo-Expressionists, I attempt to speak to the spirit and the time of my world. I utter my groanings on canvases to express my experiences of failure and redemption, solitude and intimacy, and the pleasure and pain of relationships. Painting begins in semi-automatic fashion progressing to deliberate form.
The black, white, and shades of brown and gray invite us to deal with the ambiguities of life. As maturity softens my interpretation of life, these intensely personal abstractions are changing my style to reflect mercy not judgment; reconciliation not alienation; and mediation rather than conflict.
My paintings are fluid and express grace and forgiveness that must flow between humans if they are to remain free.
Email: seilersfarm@windstream.netWebsite: www.michaelseilerstudios.com
