​Michelle Leier

 

Michelle received her B.A. from Northwestern University and her M.F.A from the Massachusetts College of Art at the Fine Arts Work Center. She grew up near the Superior National Forest in Minnesota, and currently lives and works in Portland, Maine. 

What is laid down, ordered, factual is never enough to embrace the whole truth: life always spills over the rim of every cup.—Boris Pasternak

 

Artist Statement:

Painting and drawing from direct observation requires me to be completely aware of, and responsive to, my surroundings.  Clarifying what I perceive into tangible forms—finding inherent order or structure in the object—becomes an exercise in elucidation, in figuring out my position.  When making art, one is continually impelled to negotiate, and I feel successful when I discover points at which complex chaos seem to gel in to a sense of harmony, as it makes me feel I’ve gained some understanding about the world.

My art uses dramatic combinations of lights and darks as well as bold shapes and colors to express a celebratory feeling. Growing up in an isolated wilderness area has informed my subject matter and  I associate scenes from nature with life, abundance and emotional clarity.  Baroque art is another influence and the whirling, circling, energetic use of light and space in this style of art is meant to rejoice life—for me there is no better aim for art.

 

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