Above image: Michael Dawson, Song Bomb

“I produce vibrant works on paper, wood, MDF and canvas in a neo-expressionist style that is often mistaken as ‘outsider’ but I take that as a compliment.

Intense and energetic, rich in vivid colour and heavily covered in text, stencils and bursts of texture, the works are primarily concerned with a universal experience filtered through my life. I suggest dichotomies, wealth vs poverty, primitive vs sophisticated, integration vs segregation, justice vs injustice and inner vs outer experience.

Whilst the majority of my work evidently references pop, neo expressionism and outsider art, I have successfully developed a language of my own. I harness the synergy of appropriation; poetry, drawing and painting which marries text and image, abstraction and figuration, historical information mixed with contemporary critique.

Places that I have visited also directly influence my work — the colours of New Orleans, the Caribbean and Malaysia, and the urban landscapes of New York, Paris, London and Berlin.

Contemporary culture, history, geography, political and corporate worlds, word-play, social commentary and music all get put into the food blender too.

My work has no set agenda, theme or literal subject matter — it is informed by what I am passionate about, what makes me angry and what makes me joyous — how I respond to what I see and hear around me… I try to find beauty in the ordinary, in the mundane, in the over-looked, and in what is commonly regarded as ugly… I am also scathing of what I see as unfair, cruel and brutal in the world. This is also your world.”

– Michael Dawson.

Zaphappy

Holy Island (Lust for Life)

All Ju Ju Bendy Business Coming To An End

Magic Cat

See more of Michael’s work at:
www.m-dawson.co.uk