Mike Combs
Mike Combs' work predominantly consists of vividly colored painting and collage, starting off with squares and rectangles often lined up in a grid- like, symmetrical fashion. He creates on recycled under-paintings adopted from other artists in his studio. At first, he renders each form with great intention using nearly uniform brush strokes with ample paint. Working fervently he strives to create order, yet ultimately seems to reject it as he later goes back into the work painting over parts re-covering with lines in different directions and with paint of varying grades of transparency and consistency. He turns sharp corners into rounded edges and lets brushstrokes lag off sides and edges showing their texture.
Combs work seems to explore an abstractly aerial views of land maps or civilization from above. Through geometric shapes, dots, and x's, Mike Combs draws us into a world reminiscent of aerial views of land maps or landscapes from above. He draws the viewer into brilliant etheric spaces which vary from sparse to clustered but all seem to create an expansive space with its own sort of weight.
photograph by Katelynn Ralston
Art
