MIKE SORGATZ was born in Chicago and lived in California, where he earned his BFA at the Art Institute of Southern California. He publishes the websites Art in Brooklyn and Art in New York City , which profile artists and promote art-related events in the NYC metro area. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
Artist Statement: My paintings are improvisations that combine vibrant color with an assortment of painting techniques and tools to create highly textured and dynamic surfaces. I like to be surprised by a painting and create a working environment where the unexpected can flourish. Using an open-ended approach to starting a new work, I begin with an initial concept that could be anything from a group of shapes, a palette, or a compositional idea. Building on that foundation, I start layering colors and respond to their interactions until the piece develops a character and direction of its own. The work is most interesting to me when it is unconstrained and has the freedom to go in any direction