Michael Pesselato

ARTIST STATEMENT:

I have recently moved to the Phoenix area and would like to become involved in the art scene.
My recent work, the last two years, has been focused on our culture (Americans) and how we have been interacting with a global economy. Seeing our culture driven by economics and the growth of consumerism amongst the young has provided me with a subject matter that is best illustrated in iconography. I see myself as an artist not an activist, making my duty to report observation without an arterial motive. The iconography comes from many sources with the primary source being medieval imagery. I see correlations of our culture to 14th century Europe and the imagery that spoke about human conditions.
My idea is to provoke thought about how we treat each other as humans and at times we become overly involved with superficial concerns, forgetting about how as a collective group we have power to make changes over issues. I want the viewer to reflect on their times.