Michael Sweeney Mixed Media Painting of Abstract Forms, 21st Century

Item Details

Michael Sweeney (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, born 1951)
Untitled (abstract forms), 21st century
Acrylic, watercolor, and gouache painting on paper
Initialed “M.S.” to the lower right

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.

Condition

- buckling and slight curling to artwork from unflattened storage; light toning, scuffs, and faint accretions to paint and paper; creases and minor handling wear to paper at the edges of the sheet.

Dimensions

Item #

ITMGC50114