Artist Michael Worobec creates intricate and colourful paintings from his studio in Hackney Wick, East London. Here Michael gives us an insight into his artistic practice and his fascination for organic matter…
What inspires your artistic practice?
I am interested in bringing the mass produced into the realm of the one off. The dogmatic urge of the repeat and the endless variation and complexity of a pattern interests my aesthetic at present. I play with these rules and make decisions on colour and shape, deciding on the balance and counter balance of all these mass variables. I deconstruct the scheme of the repeat.
My paintings are metaphors for development and growth. The individual and the society. We exist, flourish and fail; yet we all contribute to the tapestry of life.
I love colour, I am inspired by Graphic art and the exuberance found in the visual delights of Pop art and popular culture, past and present.
You describe you work as organic abstracts, what attracts you to organic matter?
I am interested in the poetic and languid qualities of organic shapes; the soft lines mirror nature, its ebb and flow. I hope that these flowing lines enhance my works. The term abstract can be a bit cold, bringing to mind the white light of modernity, which I love.
The organic element is employed to evoke nature, and bring a sense of humanity into these non-figurative works. I love the clean and cool elements of abstraction and its bedfellow modernity. I feel we in Britain are afraid of this term and seek the old, the safe, and the character elements of tweeness. The word, ‘character’ usually evoked by people when describing houses and homes is an example of this fear.
Do you remember the first work of art you made?
Yes. I think it was a painting of a lovely rich red car with big fat black wheels when I was in my first year at Primary school. I love beautiful designed cars to this day.
You have held many different jobs before becoming a full time artist; adventure playground worker, theatre and textile designer, a teacher etc…, have these experiences shaped your artistic practice?
Without doubt these varied roles have directed me into different worlds of experience. I have always been an artist. In every job I have utilised my skills and abilities. It is like a fixation, I express myself and interact with people with creativity as a conduit for me to bring out my personality and character. I love people. I love diversity. I am at my happiest surrounded by good company. The ability to get immersed in a good and absorbing conversation is my idea of happiness and contentment. I love a good talker.
Find Michael Worobec’s full collection on CultureLabel here.
