Michael McConnell

Region: Pacific Coast

Website: http://Poopingrabbit.com

City / State: San Francisco, CA

I fear I have no voice. I am awkward and anxious. I don't remember the details of growing up, but long to tell my story. Making art has become my refuge in which to make sense of the world and my forgotten childhood. Inspired by stories that examine loneliness, responsibility, and choice, I am able to explore the tension between youth and maturity.

My paintings, reminiscent of old photographs, blur the line between the observed and the imagined. I take the stories I know, stories you may also know, and record them differently. At first glance the work reads like a fairytale, the playful images of children and animals seduce the viewer into the work. Closer observation strips away the innocent appearance and the viewer is confronted with darker stories of skepticism and failure. I combine these peculiar specific images with phrases, which become the titles, to create work that is layered with narrative possibility.