MICHAEL DINNING www.michaeldinning.com
When I was a child I was so introverted that I could hardly speak to others. I began drawing before I have memories of doing so, and through my artwork I found my voice. I nearly exclusively drew images of people, attempting repeatedly to get at what makes individuals unique, what defines them, and trying to work out how people see me. I constantly looked inward to find a sense of self that I could project to the world. It seemed to me that identity doesn’t just happen, it is something created by what compels you, by the experiences you have, or want to have, by what brings you happiness, but also by what you fear. Creating artwork, for me, is a way to put out into the world who I am, what I care about, what concerns me and what I love.
Through this immersive introspection I came to regard a sense of place and history as an important piece of that puzzle - if my accumulated personal histories created who I am now, how about the history of my family, or my community? When I travel I seek out the history of the places I go, how people came to belong there, how the history of the place helps shape the character of the people. Regional traditions and personal idiosyncrasies fascinate me. There are certain places in the world which seem to speak to me, and southern Louisiana in one such place. When I create artwork I feel a sort of compulsive rhythm in my body, a creative music that fills my soul and propels my artistic instinct - I rarely feel more alive than when I am in a true creative groove. I know of no place on earth where that rhythm is as close to the surface of life than New Orleans, and I return to that place for personal inspiration as much as I long to return to the city itself.
16 years ago my daughter was born, and then my son three years after that. The nature of my creative impulse evolved from primarily inward looking exploration to incorporate outward facing expression. I feel a need to offer something to the world through my artwork, and to show my kids that art can matter, that you can speak non-verbally in ways complex, thoughtful and sincere, a sort. of visual commentary on life. I want my work to tell an honest story. As importantly, I seek to capture a feeling in my work that goes beyond a particular narrative, to use the combinations of imagery, lighting and construction to hopefully give the viewer a sense of how I feel about the work, about the world, about life. Joy and wonder surround me daily, and being able to recognize and embrace that gives me the ability to express myself, to be able to be who I want to be, to stand out in a crowd
ARTIST BIO: A love of history and a sense of place, the joy of family, the intrigue of music and a sense of social awareness all combine and recombine as central threads in my artwork. These people and things, ideas and affections, build and overlap, creating personal layers within us that define who we are. There is an essence and mystery of life that is defined by the interplay of these layers, and the artistic process is a way for me to give form to those unseen rhythms and intriguing themes that I find compelling. My creative process embraces this idea, as a way to give form to this complexity that lies under our common skin, through the use of artistic layering, targeted lighting and physical depth in each piece. My goal when creating artwork is to present something that is immediately engaging, consistently compelling, and leaves a lasting impression beyond the initial encounter, and I feel that this mixed media approach gives me the best set of tools to achieve this end. Furthermore, each of my pieces tells a story, or has a central theme, and this use of a variety of elements and perspectives gives focus to the artistic expression of each piece. I believe that art should bring a sense of wonder and delight, and reflect the joy of creation experienced by the artist. I also feel that painting and sculpture are, along with the creative vision, something to be built, and the joy of that constructive process is as important to me as realizing a coherent, complex and compelling artistic expression. I love what I do, and I hope this love is clearly present to everybody who views my artwork. A graduate of Washington State University, with a BFA focused on sculpture, printmaking and art history, I switched gears and spent the first part of my creative life in the Seattle area as a painter. Working part-time to gain a toe-hold in the artistic community there, I was able to have a few exhibits, including the good fortune to show with the West Seattle Artist Warehouse in the mid-90s. Nearly 20 years ago I moved to Spokane, married, got a new job and a couple of kids, and largely quit working as an artist. About 8 years ago I shifted gears to be a stay-at-home dad and and full-time mixed-media artist, reembracing my sculptural roots to compliment my painted imagery. The last few years have been by far the most fruitful of my career, showing my work regionally in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Montana, including solo exhibits in Seattle, Spokane, Yakima, Missoula, Hood River and Lynden. I currently reside in Spokane with my wife, two kids, two dogs, four cats and one rabbit.