Michael Scoggins

MICHAEL SCOGGINS (Washington, 1973).
Untitled.
Technique on paper.
Provenance: Gallery Jeanrichard (Paris).
Signed in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 88 x 128 cm; 105 x 145 cm (frame).
The use of a notebook page, with its blue lines and spiral edges, is a central element in the work, as it acts as a direct means of connection with the viewer, appealing to his innocence, to childhood and to a naive look at the world. By enlarging it, the artist transforms this everyday object into something meaningful, offering a new perspective. On this surface, the texts and drawings address the influence of American culture on her life. The paper appears torn, crumpled and folded, giving it a history of its own and making it an object in itself, thus expanding the traditional definition of drawing. The rainbow, the protagonist of this piece, is not a purely optimistic or decorative symbol, but is loaded with ambiguity. Within its language the rainbow can be interpreted as a reference to LGTBIQ+ culture, and the promises of happiness or success it projects. However, when placed in a context of crumpled, torn or intervened paper, that symbol becomes more complex: it can suggest irony, nostalgia or even a critique of those idealized ideas. The rainbow, then, functions as an image of desire or hope, but also as something fragile, questioned or constructed, in line with the reflective and sometimes melancholic tone of his work.
Michael Scoggins is an artist who works primarily in the field of expanded drawing. He earned an MFA in painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2006 and has participated in prestigious residencies such as Skowhegan, MacDowell and Fountainhead. His work has achieved international recognition, with exhibitions in cities such as New York, Miami, Seoul and Vienna, and is part of important collections such as the Hammer Museum and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Throughout his career he has had numerous solo and group exhibitions, and currently lives and works in the Hudson Valley, New York.