Michael Dwyer

My latest encounter with artists from South Carolina was with Mr. Michael Dwyer. I met Michael through Facebook and Facebook connections at USC of mine. I am happy to share some of his biographical information and art on my blog. Make sure you visit his website: www.michaeldwyerart.com

Michael Dwyer earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1985 from Syracuse University and his Master of Fine Arts degree in 1993 from the University of South Carolina. At both schools his area of study was Studio Arts, with a concentration in painting. Dwyer has lived in Syracuse, NY; Providence, RI; and since 1990, Columbia, SC, where he works as Exhibition Designer and Preparator at the Columbia Museum of Art.

His work has been exhibited in Syracuse, Providence, and various cities in South Carolina. Currently his paintings can be seen in "A Phonic Swath: Paintings by Michael Dwyer" at The Etherredge Center for Fine and Performing Art, University of South Carolina Aiken (March 1st - 30th).

Dwyer's Statement:

I come from parents who are both artists. While my mother set aside art production, for the most part, when they began a family, my father has been a painter throughout my life. Many of their friends, colleagues at Syracuse University, were artists, architects, or writers and our home was always a place with big, modern paintings on the walls and jazz on the record player. As a kid, I loved visiting my dad's studio. I liked the spattered dishevelment, the smell of paint, and the paintings that I couldn't fully understand, but instinctively got, in the process of coming to life. I knew at an early age that this was something I wanted to pursue.

My decision to work abstractly is visceral and intuitive. It stems from a belief that in any visual art, there are abstract elements which need to function well for the work to succeed. These qualities are at the core of all visual art and transcend cultural and historical differences.