Birdie (2009), as it hoisted into place by crane, into the Palm Court at Cabana Home – Santa Barbara.
Steel with Automotive Paint Finish, 96 x 96 x 48 in
Please join Cabana Home and Edward Cella Art + Architecture for Saturday morning Coffee and Artist Talk with Sculptor Michael Whiting.
Saturday, January 22nd, 10:30 AM
Cabana Home, in collaboration with Edward Cella Art + Architecture in Los Angeles, presents a solo
exhibition of steel sculptures by California artist Michael Whiting. Constructed from welded steel and
coated with bright automotive enamels, Whiting creates playful works inspired by the forms and imagery
of early video gaming and computer graphics.
Recognizing the extreme sparseness of forms inherent to the constraints of pixel-based technologies, Whiting states, “In my visual experience Pac-man came beforeDonald Judd or Carl Andre. For me, Mondrian’s Broadway Boogie Woogie will always be a homage to Pacman Taking the square, or “pixel” as a building block for all technological innovations in the computer Age. Whiting brings to life the forms initially rendered for video games, creating a universe of relics from the not-too distant past. Since receiving his MFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY in 2002, Whiting has exhibited his innovative work in both group and solo exhibitions nationally. His Santa Barbara debut runs concurrently with his highly anticipated fourth exhibition at the critically recognized Plus Gallery in Denver, Colorado.
You can have one last look before Mike’s Birdie and other works “fly the cabana”
Cat Ears (Pair), 2005. 25 x 30 x 3.5 inches
Do Not Cross, 2006. 46 x 46 x 6 inches
Peckerhead, 2006. 21 x 18 x 15 inches.
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Dog – Large (Blue over Black), 2010. 14 x 16 x 5 inches.
“Puppies (ltd. edition)”, 2009, automotive paint on fabricated steel, 7 x 9 x 3 inches each
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Favorite T, 2004. 36 x 46 x 8 inches.
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Red Bird, 2010. 30 x 36 x 6 inches.
Whale, 2010. 32 x 52 x 8 inches.
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Blue Chip, 2005. 20 x 26 x 18 inches
Eye, 2005. 16 x 20 x 12 inches.
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Left: Doe, 2007: 60.5 x 55 x 16.5 inches.
Right: Buck, 2007: 77 x 55 x 16.5 inches.
Both, Paint on steel
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Before I close, I want to show you a wonderful permanent installation of Whiting’s work at a skate park in Albuquerque, NM, below:
Kickflip (Permanent installation, Albuquerque, NM), 2009, fabricated steel with powder coat finish. 202 x 520 x 46 inches.
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I’ll see you this coming
Saturday, January 22nd, at 10:30 AM