Michel Angela Petersen, gloriously irreverent figurative ceramic sculpture

Like chapters in a good novel, Michel’s art career is an adventure in progress. Finding her art process on a remote island in Southern California she realized she was not a primitive artist and proceeded to acquire a BA in Liberal Studies with an emphasis on art and an MFA or terminal degree in the studio arts, with an emphasis in Art in Public spaces. Her thesis found its way into the public sphere in the form of enormous tile installations for which she was recognized by members of the National Congress in both the “House” and “Senate”. On completion of these projects she retreated to the Himalayas and continued her travels through India, China and finally Taiwan.

Inspired by her travels in Asia, Michel reconnected with a lifelong fascination of ancient artifacts and began an artistic dialogue with personalities and periods in history that inspired her art process all the while disregarding popular art trends. It seems she has come full circle with her work, embracing with her comrades in art the resurgence of the human figure with all its subtle nuance, brave innuendo and unparalleled possibilities.

As a working artist Michel at times resembles a 3D printer, downloading from another dimension; only her intellect is not at the helm, rather her hands are operated by an unseen force; and so she creates blissfully in the dream time; however, there is a darker side where Michel struggles to master her exacting craft in a harsher less forgiving world. So back and forth she journeys between interpreting and learning, intuiting and perceiving; always ebbing and flowing between the two chambers of her bicameral mind.
Michel Angela Petersen
Mar 7, 2018

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