Through extensive exploration of his media, which includes works on paper, oils on canvas, and mixed media, Bentley has developed a distinctive trademark which has brought him recognition, awards and exhibitions across the country including Chicago, New York, and Palm Desert.
The highly regarded former Curator of Contemporary Art at the Brooklyn Museum, Charlotta Kotik stated, "...The serenity of Michael Bentley's watercolor speaks about the artist's eternal fascination with the elements of nature ..."
This New Series is titled
TRANSLATION : A Visual Interpretation of Words to Inspire
[ Oil on Canvas ]
The basis of these works is a selection of thought-provoking, innovative quotes from a variety of our most highly regarded naturalists, philosophers, ideological and spiritual leaders. The combination of words and letters from each quote is used to create an abstraction of the ideals being recognized, resulting in a unique perspective to the viewer, allowing for a visual journey of contemplation. Each painting is made up solely by the abstract configuration of a quote in its entirety.
This is an on going series, with works highlighting quotes from the likes of Muir, Emerson, Mandela, Chief Seattle and more.
The boldness of the lines is a means to project my voice, a personal depiction of words that resonate. bringing forth an abstract, delineative, language derived from an instinctual, visceral rendition.
The unstretched canvases are hung simply to portray pages in a book, a casually tangible visual journal of thoughts, pondering how we internalize these words from various sources, make conscious decisions and in turn act on society as a whole. Serving as a reminder of the basic principles that connect us around the world, regardless of our political, religious or geographical differences, instilling a sense of hope for positive change.
