Eyes Compound

December 14, 2023February 17, 2024

The exhibition showcases Theo Michael's diverse artistic expressions, featuring mosaics, drawings, and collages. The mosaics draw inspiration from Classical Greek, Hellenistic, and Mexican mosaic traditions, blending design techniques with geological elements to convey a timeless quality. Michael's proprietary mosaic-making technique ensures portability and resistance to torsion. The new series of graphite drawings depicts hybrid forms and landscapes undergoing change, exploring the intersection of the organic and inorganic. The collages reflect the chaos of contemporary information overload, combining news infographic elements with sticker-sheet aesthetics. Despite the apparent heterogeneity, all three lines of work share Michael's departure from anthropocentric thinking, delving into paradox realms between Physics, Darwinian Evolution, and Fantasy. The pieces balance seriousness with playfulness, abstraction with figurative elements, and the ephemeral with the eternal. They collectively challenge anthropocentric perspectives, offering snapshots of a turbulent moment on Earth where humans are not the central protagonists. Instead, the focus is shifted towards seemingly insignificant natural experiences, thus prompting viewers to consider a more inclusive interpretation of the cosmos.