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Michael Verbenec
323-924-5669
www.michaelverbenec.com
welldonepro@yahoo.com
While in high school in Kansas City, Michael Verbenec was awarded two Scholastic National Awards for his work in Watercolor Painting. He went on to study at the University of Kansas, where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Painting.
Moving to Southern California, he continued to pursue his artistic vision while working in the field of freelance video production. He has produced promotional videos for DJs, retail stores, night clubs and event promoters.
Michael has exhibited his watercolor paintings at various Art festivals in California, including the Art-A-Fair Festival in Laguna Beach where he often participates in the monthly First Thursday of the Month Art Walks. He has also shown his work in many art events in Arizona and Colorado. One of his works has been shown at the Marin County (CA) Museum of Contemporary Art as part of a National Juried Exhibition organized in 2008 under the theme “Realities and Illusions.”
Statement: “One of the principal goals of two dimensional painting has always been to create an illusion of three-dimensional space. This means composing and arranging various two dimensional lines and shapes in an effort to trick the mind into perceiving three dimensions.
I have always been intrigued by the ways that the mind interprets what the eye sees--how the mind processes and orders this 2D arrangement of lines and shapes to produce the perception of a 3D space. In order to better understand this process, I have tried to minimalize my use of traditional perspective drawing techniques such as shading, color modulation, diagonals and diminishing size. This has led me to a better understanding of some of the more subtle techniques of defining space. For instance, the shape of a shadow can define an object. Or, a repeated shape can create a “persistence of vision” effect, which can cause the viewer to “see” an object that is not actually painted on the surface.
I try to emphasize the two dimensional aspect of a composition in order to challenge the viewer to work harder to perceive a three dimensional space. For instance, a block of color signifying a shadow, which would normally be perceived as a receding space in a painting, can be emphasized by its irregular shape or color, so that it carries more visual weight and appears more “real” than an adjacent block of color signifying a solid wall. As it carries more visual weight, it appears to project “forward” in the painting, thereby interfering with the viewer’s perception of a third dimension. In this way, I try to challenge the viewer to become more aware of the optical and mental processes at work in their own perception.”
RECENT EXHIBITIONS
2009 (Nov 21-Jan 8, 2010) Garboushian Gallery, 427 N. Camden Dr. Beverly Hills, CA
2009 Lurie Gallery 12350 Ventura Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604
2009 Los Angeles Municipal Gallery, Open Call 2009 Show, Barnsdall Park, LA
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* None of the artworks may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the Artist