BIOGRAPHY
Michael Reeder is an Urban Contemporary artist hailing from Dallas, TX. His artistic practice involves the utilization of diverse mediums and techniques not commonly paired within traditional painting. Furthermore, his work frequently expands beyond the confines of gallery spaces and manifests on expansive exterior walls. Reeder's extensive studies in fine art, coupled with his background in graphic design and early exposure to graffiti, culminate in the distinctive style for which he is renowned today. His artwork commands attention through a daring fusion of vibrant colors, striking geometric patterns, and lifelike imagery. His figurative pieces possess a weightiness, saturated with vivid, eye-catching hues, and imagery that reflect a profound exploration of identity and the inexorable nature of human mortality. Reeder's creations have been showcased both domestically and internationally, featured prominently in esteemed printed publications such as New American Paintings, Le Petit Voyeur, and HiFructose Magazine. Additionally, Michael has actively engaged in collaborative endeavors with various brands, including Santa Cruz Skateboards, New Balance, and Specialized Bicycles.
Statement from Matthew Eaton (Uncommon Editions) - 2017
"Michael Reeder the man, much like his creative manifestations, is complicated. This is a disciplined and brilliant student of the arts who hacks through the bullshit clearing a path for us to follow. While conveying unequivocal technical proficiencies and the creative instincts of a classically trained portrait painter, he rattles our cages with his deep emotional insight and dark sense of humor. Reeder's work is carefully constructed using mostly traditional techniques easily identified by both a competent academic eye and average observer, yet somehow manages to confound us in his use of non traditional materials, methodologies and aesthetics. When I look at his work I imagine what once might have been a stoically posed figure within an old masters painting. Only, this poor sap had his skin carefully removed, his wardrobe replaced by graphic designers and thrust into the living world of Monty Python. Things all of a sudden are not what they seem. The rules are different, if they exist at all. So, in all this complexity and aesthetic layering, we find this powerful, calm and slightly amusing harmony, much like the man himself."