MICHAEL CUTLIP
Artist Statement
About six or seven years ago, my work made a bounce back to abstraction after many years of doing something a little more image based. I rediscovered my love and desire for abstraction through the use of collage. Large shapes of color were cut from hand painted papers and layered randomly, creating an exciting and fresh outlook on my art.
I ran with this process of gluing paper for several years, until a year or two ago, I had started to become interested in applying the brush directly to the panel again. I was ready to paint again…but, this time with all the knowledge I had gained from collage. Color, composition, minimalism, were all very important things I explored in great depth with my collages.
At this point, I am mostly stenciling my shapes, some stamping, and the occasional use of paper. I always like to keep my materials open, which is why I really consider myself a mixed media artist. I don’t like to be limited to just one thing.
The studio is the place to play. We, as artists, have a duty to enter our studios with a fresh mind every day. We should be open to new moments…always. Our job is that of an innovator. If we know what the end result is going to be, then it’s time to move on.
I ran with this process of gluing paper for several years, until a year or two ago, I had started to become interested in applying the brush directly to the panel again. I was ready to paint again…but, this time with all the knowledge I had gained from collage. Color, composition, minimalism, were all very important things I explored in great depth with my collages.
At this point, I am mostly stenciling my shapes, some stamping, and the occasional use of paper. I always like to keep my materials open, which is why I really consider myself a mixed media artist. I don’t like to be limited to just one thing.
The studio is the place to play. We, as artists, have a duty to enter our studios with a fresh mind every day. We should be open to new moments…always. Our job is that of an innovator. If we know what the end result is going to be, then it’s time to move on.
Biography
An artist with a following in the Bay Area and beyond, Cutlip’s exhibition history includes shows in San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and Vancouver, BC, and in 2014, he won the Alameda County Arts Commission Purchase Grant. Cutlip’s work has been acquired by the corporate collections of Microsoft, Bloomingdales, Kaiser Permanente and the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, to name a few. His work is also featured in the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara and is a part of singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan's private collection.
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Cutlip was exposed to artistic endeavors at a young age through his mother, a writer and musician with a passion for arts and crafts. Despite his creative surroundings, Cutlip discovered art later in life, realizing his passion for visual expression in a drawing course he took at California State University, East Bay. Upon finding his true calling, Cutlip left his Business major to pursue a degree in Fine Art. The artist currently resides in Berkeley, California, with his wife and two children.
Outside of Cutlip’s educational background, the artist considers his practice in many ways to be self-taught. Heavily influenced by graffiti and street art, his works showcase metropolitan life as seen through an abstract lens. Representational associations fade away as thick layers of paper and paint come together in an effortless balance of color and texture. Conceived in both individual and multi-panel installation works, Cutlip’s collages reconstitute urban detritus into a vibrant reflection of our material environment. In addition to creating work of his own, the artist has worked as a private art instructor for the past four years, teaching workshops and ongoing weekly classes in his personal studio.
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Cutlip was exposed to artistic endeavors at a young age through his mother, a writer and musician with a passion for arts and crafts. Despite his creative surroundings, Cutlip discovered art later in life, realizing his passion for visual expression in a drawing course he took at California State University, East Bay. Upon finding his true calling, Cutlip left his Business major to pursue a degree in Fine Art. The artist currently resides in Berkeley, California, with his wife and two children.
Outside of Cutlip’s educational background, the artist considers his practice in many ways to be self-taught. Heavily influenced by graffiti and street art, his works showcase metropolitan life as seen through an abstract lens. Representational associations fade away as thick layers of paper and paint come together in an effortless balance of color and texture. Conceived in both individual and multi-panel installation works, Cutlip’s collages reconstitute urban detritus into a vibrant reflection of our material environment. In addition to creating work of his own, the artist has worked as a private art instructor for the past four years, teaching workshops and ongoing weekly classes in his personal studio.
