Mike Smalley

Mike Smalley is another Ontario artist that I had the pleasure meeting at the Artist Project Toronto.  His large scale paintings focus around two natural themes:  geological formations and grasslands.  He described his process of starting his geolocical paintings with a dark underpainting that is then drenched in turps, which cause unexpected movement and travelling of the dark blue/grey pigments.  He then follows the lead of this movement with facades, fissures and planes.  They are truly a sight to behold!

Monument #2, 2012, Oil and Charcoal on Linen, 78" x 60"

Untitled, 84" x 50"

Genesis Chapters #7,  2012, Oil and Charcoal on Linen, 58" x 42"

History of the World Panel #2, Oil and Charcoal on Linen, 2010, 60" x 84"

Here are some more details about Mike Smalley's subject matter from Navillus Gallery in Toronto: 

"His depiction of a “living” environment in flux appears cracked, broken and then resurrected. Rocks cut from the rough Canadian Shield undergo a metamorphosis beneath jostling waves. Grass cut by various shades of light bristles in the wind. The horizon peels into the water as the sun dips down for twilight. In Smalley’s ethos on the canvas, shapes are pinched and cracked. As with cubism, we see the whole from multiple perspectives, learning how the pieces interact: a shadow from a rock is cut into the grass, creating a rough gouge. By fragmenting the landscape and disassociating the shapes from one another, Smalley pieces it back into a more perfect whole."

Mike Smalley's Website