Comments on: Q & A with Michael Stillion

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:38:27 +0000

That’s a good link.

By: matt ballou

matt ballou — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:17:36 +0000

By: carla

carla — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:01:05 +0000

The subject matter really bullies all else, not necessarily in a bad way. I like this unexpected stylistic treatment of this imagery; it’s startling. The subject matter has a limited content, independent of this startle factor, and it dominates the work. This establishes a fairly restrictive play area.

That said, I think the Chewbaca piece hits on something profound, perhaps profound humor?, It’s pretty special.

By: matt ballou

matt ballou — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 02:52:58 +0000

chris – you’re nailing it for me. there’s something about that one that just says IMAGE and WILLFUL to me. intention is such a fine line, and i think there is intention in all of the works, obviously. but there is a tension between the plasticity of the materials and the application of the materials overall in michael’s work. i think in some of the works that material happening and the artist’s use of that happening stays more prominent in the total artifice of the work. in others, like the chewbacca, there is a willful use of the intended and the found (or suggested) material action.

could all be moot, but i love that push and pull.

there’s also a color issue here i can’t quite articulate…

By: jen

jen — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:54:32 +0000

stillion,
that’s a good one too. possibly my second choice.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:55:13 +0000

I guess the reason I want to push that is it would be easy to just say that, well, they’re just heads, so I’m not navigating body or space beyond the heads and that’s why there’s this “locked on one level” feeling. Like it’s a formal thing–figure/ground relationship is not convoluted quite enough.

But that doesn’t seem right. Because to me, at least, the painting that’s most successful at breaking through is the fur-covered chewbacca head one. Because I see it as an image, I see it as fun, I see it as tagging certain pop-culture references that are a little to specific to be iconic, I see it as Michael’s pleasure in being a craftsman and sitting down and hatching all those individual hairs.

So it’s one of the simplest ones that seems the most multi-leveled to me.

Sometimes I think it’s just that they seem so fun. Like too easily engaged with images and markmaking that is just fun for Michael. Decadent, even. Like I wish they were a little more hung up about drawing or proper composing.

Maybe?

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:13:19 +0000

Thanks, Michael.

I actually wanna push at Carla’s comment, about being ‘locked into one level of engagement with these’. Hey, Carla, just to try to take that a little further, I wonder if you would rank these paintings: Which is most locked into one level to which allows for more than one level of response? In your opinion.
Anyone else…feel free to throw in on the matter.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:02:36 +0000

Joey- The painting on the top of the page was inspired by some Scooby-Doo cartoon backgrounds.
Renee-I’ve received a couple of responses about the “Boat” painting. John Alexander also has a “Ship of Fools” painting. It’s really nice. I was aware of both images.
Sam- Yes! I actually gave my copy to my nephew- I think it was last year. I never thought about it while I was working on the paintings. It’s always nice to realize where inspiration comes from so I can own up to it. It’s the same with the Bosch and Alexander paintings.
Jen- I like CYHASY’s skin of my yellow country teeth.

By: jen

jen — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 21:06:42 +0000

hey stillion.
clap your hands say yeah…
upon this tidal wave of young blood…
- my feet are kind of shifting involuntarily -

By: Sam K

Sam K — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:03:02 +0000

Hey Michael, did you ever read the Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark book series when you were a kid? There's a similar drippy/spooky quality in some of your paintings.