Michael Staniak born 1982 in Melbourne, Lives and works in Melbourne
Australian artist Michael Staniak’s work is heavily focused on the nature of surface and the ways in which light, color, and texture can animate it novel ways. Adding a valence of modern digital culture to this investigation has transformed Staniak’s work into a powerful statement.
Many of Staniak’s creations begin with a literal construction process, as he often augments his compositional surface with additions of casting compounds to establish a rudimentary rhythm. From there he sprays acrylics across the surface in various patterns and gradients to allude to the precision of a mechanized printing process yet also leaving adequate reminders to recall the artist’s hand. By doing so, Staniak underscores the living quality of the image as an extension of the artist, a lasting reminder of the works physical presence as opposed to the ephemerality of online imagery.