Michael L. Pittman

Contemporary  Realist

 Statement

I have been painting for more than 35 years, working primarily in oils. During that time I have experimented with every style from full abstraction to very tightly controlled realism. I have a strong interest in photography which has served to hone my compositional skills as well as provide me with a broad inventory of images from which to draw upon.

 

Much of my recent work revolves around the use of vintage toys which I find in antique stores and yard sales. The colorful and exaggerated imagery of toys allows for the freedom to blend my interests in both abstraction and realism. I am fascinated by how we maintain an emotional connection to the toys of our past throughout our lives. In my latest series of paintings and drawings, Toys Gone Wild, I explore the frailty of the human condition by staging adults in a game of wits with impetuous toys.

 

Central to my latest work is the notion that all of us secretly wish to return to our childhood and enjoy the freedom to pretend, interact and argue with our old friends from the toy box. The world economy changed forever when we were convinced that tossing a fifty cent red rubber ball was more fun than throwing a free crabapple. I am fascinated by how toys morph over time to reflect societal changes in attitudes and values. A toymaker can be half way around the world before a sociologist or a political scientist put on their pants.

 

Many wars have been fought and won by cast iron soldiers locked in mortal combat in the back yards of America while families go about their daily routines within the safe haven of well-furnished dollhouses. Acquiring toys represents our earliest introduction to a primordial need to keep up with the kid next door and the even greater urge to gain control of our parents by appealing to their gifting nature and need to be loved.

 

I consider myself to be a contemporary realist with a twist of abstraction, in which abstract elements combine with illogical scenarios in an otherwise realistic or even "normal" setting. I make a conscious effort to be spontaneous and painterly or precise and methodical, often within the same work.

 

 

Copyright © 2008 Michael L. Pittman All rights reserved.