ARTIST STATEMENT
I work mainly in mixed media and collage in a number of independent art series with different modalities but many unifying themes. The subjects of my art is the intersections of politics, philosophy, and personal histories. My background in surrealism informs my use of the familiar to express the strange in my artwork. I will often use disparate elements to create conceptual contrasts and juxtapositions. I like to play with dichotomies and visual commentary to create works of art that challenge viewers to think about themselves and their relationship to the world around them. For me, good art is not just aesthetically pleasing but should transport the audience to another state of mind, a state of mind that goes beyond everyday experience and into realms of the unusual, the undiscovered, and the unexplainable.
BIO
Michael Farmer is a painter and mixed media artist who draws his inspiration from philosophy, religion, politics, and history. While earning his BFA in Media Arts at the University of Arizona, he taught himself the fundamentals of oil painting. He continued on a self-taught track in painting for 20 years, before going back to school to learn traditional techniques. He has exhibited nationally and locally, including at the Alwun House, FOUND:RE, the Herberger Theater, Modified Arts, and the Phoenix Art Museum. He is in private collections in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Austin, New York, Connecticut, and Ireland. He lives and creates art in Mesa, Arizona.