Solo Show
February 10, 2012
Michael Pfleghaar: Reinforcing Objecthood
Grand Rapids Art Museum
101 Monroe Center
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
(616) 831-1000
February 10 – April 22, 2012
Michael Pfleghaar’s current work translates three-dimensional utilitarian form onto a flat plane, resulting in a new physical object. By integrating elements of design objects, his paintings lie somewhere between representation and abstraction.
“I am attracted to modern furniture, lighting and accessories because of their inherent abstract structure. Through abstraction I am able to capture the spirit of modern design … By attaching actual modern readymade objects to paintings, I create a dialog between utilitarian and non-utilitarian articles. To reinforce objecthood, physicality is stressed in the work through the use of materials and how they relate to the forms inspiring the paintings.”
The artist’s work illustrates the paradox that a painting can represent something other than itself, yet it is also an object in its own right.
Michael Pfleghaar has made Grand Rapids his home since 1983 and is represented in many local private, corporate and public collections. Pfleghaar received a BFA in painting from Grand Valley State College in 1989 and an MFA in visual arts from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University in 2011.