Michael Sweeney Abstract Watercolor and Ink Wash Painting

Item Details

Michael Sweeney (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, born 1951)
Untitled (abstract), late 20th-21st century
Watercolor and ink wash painting on paper
Unsigned

Pittsburgh-based Folk artist and illustrator Michael Sweeney specializes in graphic designs that often feature abstract animal and figural motifs and both geometric and biomorphic shapes. His compositions are rendered with vibrant colors and shapes delineated with stark outlines, many of which are arranged into grid-like designs or rectangular registers. Sweeney received his B.F.A. from Penn State University and is also a songwriter and bassist who has played in local and national bands. He is the founding member of the Americana band Hoodoo Drugstore, for which he has designed several album covers in the 1980s and 1990s. He has also worked as a tattoo designer, which he incorporates into his illustrations and logos. Visually, Sweeney is influenced by tribal art from around the world and adopts aspects of different tribal art that he conglomerates into his unique hybrid style. Many of his compositions are painted on drywall or discarded construction materials as he shares an interest in upcycling when creating art. Sweeney has exhibited his work in local venues and has participated in solo shows throughout the Pittsburgh area.

• Please note, this item may be rolled for storage and shipping.

Condition

- minor buckling and curling to artwork from unflattened storage; tiny holes in paper towards the corners of the painting, likely from the previous use of thumbtacks or pins; two areas of light peeling to paint and paper towards the upper left and center left regions of the painting; faint toning and accretions to paint and paper; minor creases and handling wear to paper at the edges of the sheet.

Dimensions

Item #

ITMGC50122