Artist Spotlight - Michael Standefer — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

Biography

After years of mosaics and stained glass I transitioned into woodworking and then sculpture in stone and bronze. Most artists and collectors realize these are very labor-intensive projects that are also quite expensive to make.

I have always been a collector of objects so pivoting into mixed media was fun as I’d decide on a theme like the Nubian Pharaoh and then proceed to create that narrative.

This was an ambitious project because I knew little about the subject other than Africans from Northern Africa journeyed to Egypt not just to trade but war both with and against Egypt.

The African “Nubian” black pharaoh’s both male and female were beautiful people of extraordinary strength and character being equally creative builders of pyramids 100’s of years before the Egyptians; who easily assimilated into Egyptian society.

These Nubian Pharaohs fascinated me with their gold finery and elegance in clothing. My challenge was finding a vintage 1960’s-70’s black African mannequin which was all but impossible- so I settled on an Asian with very light skin- which was a shock after her arrival from Oklahoma. I really wondered if I could pull this off as there was so much to change…

Artist Statement

I am a self-taught artist merging 30 years of professional wood working with a serious appreciation for all types of art mediums and styles. My sculpture is an amalgam of various exotic wood and antique (1880’-1920’s) scavenged sculptural objects.

During my earliest art experience from 1978 to 1987, I trained at a stained glass studio in San Francisco. At that time executing about 175 flat panel windows- I later started “Flying Rooster Glass Works” making sculptural stained glass weather vanes- with an emphasis on roosters, mermaids and abstracted wind blown forms.

In 1983 my mother introduced me to stone carving; however I quickly tired of the loud noise, dust and the heavy labor of moving 100 pound marble, slate and onyx around my now filthy garage.

Initially, making furniture was a exciting but I tired of the redundancy and commitment to traditional forms creating household objects like tables and chairs, which really didn’t push me. Somehow, standing in a wood shop creating a dining table or rocking chair could not compete with the freedom of expression I experienced with sculpture.

I found that wood allowed me to create a visual picture and was also more forgiving than either stone or glass. Simply put wood sculpture is my primary vehicle for artistic expression.