recent WORK / exhibits
New Work 2023
Living Together Separately
September 22 thru November 12
Opening reception Friday Sep 22 • 6 pm to 8 pm
Artist Statement: When I turned 30 I had my astrological chart read and was advised to live alone. The reader suggested that as an observer, constantly taking things in from the world around me, that I would benefit from adequate space to process…alone.
Being raised by divorced parents in two homes, I find it natural to live apart (at least part-time) from the people I love. Luckily for me, my partner of 19 years is also an artist who needs space to recharge and “process”, and we are secure in keeping the Bay between us. Over the course of our relationship, we’ve constantly been asked when we plan on moving in together. The simple answer is possibly never. Although recently we began discussing a new way of being – by building two dwellings on the same property, like a modern-day Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. It’s this change in my life that initiated the house imagery in this body of work. The idea of living together, separately.
I’ve always used animal motifs in my work. The animals often take on human characteristics and are presented isolated in an abstract landscape, a metaphor for my need for space. Sometimes they are paired together creating their own dialogue and narrative, but still maintaining their own identity.
So who knows if the houses will ever be built, but in the meantime, the distance keeps us together and I look forward to growing into two old men who watch birds in the backyard.
https://raredevice.net/blogs/blog/down-the-rabbit-hole-with-michael-mcconnell
Fall Open Studios at Art Farm
October 28 & 29, 2023
11 am to 5 pm
Friday Night Preview
October 27, 6 pm to 9 pm
Art Farm | 1890 Bryant St, Ste 414, San Francisco CA
In the News
Rare Device Gallery | September 2023
other press mentions
- 25 Artists to Watch, Watercolor Magazine, Fall 2011
- 100 Artists of the West Coast II, Tina Skinner, Schiffer Publishing, 2009
- New American Paintings 79: Juried by Ritz Gonzalez, 2008
- Nashville Scene, “One Thing Leads to Another”, by David Maddox, November 23, 2006
- The Tennessean, “A Strong Reaction”, by Jonathan Marx, November 3, 2006
- Artweek, “Partially Told Stories”, by Kristin Palm, May 2006
- “ReGeneration: Telling Stories from Our Twenties”, Jennifer Karlin and Amelia Borofsky, 2003
- The Columbus Dispatch, “Six New Faces Show Promise”, July 7, 2002
- The San Francisco Examiner, “Ex Files”, by Anne Crump, July 10, 2001
