Michael
Background
To know something about me is to know something about my art.
I was born in late November 1954. My hometown in Northwest Indiana was dominated by the towering presence of oil refineries and steel mills, creating a gray and hazy industrial landscape that, in retrospect, seemed like the outskirts of Mordor. My younger brother and I were raised by my Mom and Grandmother; two strong women of French descent and origin. Much of my love of nature and art came from my Grandmother. Ever since I can remember I have had a powerful imagination, a strong creative spirit, and a natural aesthetic for seeing beauty.
Mathematics and science always came easy to me, so it was no coincidence that I earned a Bachelor's degree in physics. I then went on to graduate school, where I studied theoretical astrophysics for three years and my scientific paper on the motion of Mercury was published in the American Journal of Physics. However, I made a monumental change in my life when I decided that I did not want a career in academia. Instead, I left university and went to work as a game designer for a small company that made a roleplaying game called Dungeons and Dragons.
That decision led to 30 years in the game industry. During my career I helped to produce more than 75 titles, ranging from classic toys and video games to high-tech amusement park rides, from virtual reality entertainment to massively multi-player online worlds. Developing games fueled my creative spirit for three decades.
In 2010, I decided to quit active game development and pursue new creative endeavors. This was the beginning of my life as an artist.
Inspirations
I am a self-taught digital artist and fine art printer. I use a variety of techniques to create and print my original works of art. My art is often an expression of my formal education in physics and mathematics, my personal experiences with Native American spirituality, curiosity with psychology and neuroscience, and my interest in the origin stories of world cultures. I have been published in scientific journals and I am a sacred pipe carrier.
The digital world has an underlying mathematical nature to its very existence: the results of 1's and 0's. Modern computing has given rise to advances in complex calculations, making possible the development of new areas in math and visualization. My experimentation with cutting-edge algorithmic techniques, such as AI and deep learning, has allowed me to challenge myself and push my art into new territory.
Mathematics is often called the language of the universe because it is the underpinning of modern science. For me, it is the language of creation and beauty. Math is an essential element in much of my work, both as process and content.
In the 20th century, there were major shifts in the art world that lead to movements such as Cubism and Abstract Art that shifted the focus away from the external world, and instead, to the inner soul of the artist. Similarly, this digital age in which we are now immersed has brought about new transformations in many areas of life and art, and I seek to use that as inspiration.
I paint with pixels, using math and algorithms to create my art. This work, both in scope and technique, forms the basis of how I explore the nexus of science, art, spirituality, and culture.
My digital artwork is most often inspired by the likes of Albert Einstein, Black Elk, Carl Jung, and Salvador Dali, as well as other physicists, spiritual elders, and modern artists.
Influences
Our universe is so much grander than we realize. We go about our daily lives within a very limited range of existence that too often hinders our appreciation for the fractal-like tapestry of the abstract reality beyond our senses. To truly understand the universe, as well as ourselves; we need a profound shift away from the narrow and skewed perspective of old notions.
My artwork presents just such a shift; integrating elements of chaos theory, quantum mechanics, cosmology, neuroscience, dreams, along with Indigenous and Buddhist wisdoms into a cohesive artistic framework.
My pixels are my Lascaux; animals on cave walls are now neural network induced marks deciphering modern physics. My sigils calling in the powers of the gods are found in the underlying code of software programs that inspire my creativity. My art is about contemplation; of seeing our humanity in the abstract and surreal beauty of a universe too often beyond our imagination. A beauty in subatomic collisions, a crawling ant, and a spiral galaxy.
For me the idea of beauty is based in Indigenous teachings and in mathematical/scientific truths. Beauty is not about pretty pictures or valuable objects. Beauty comes from profound truth; being connected to the source of creation – the numinous. Something of beauty reflects that natural flow of ever-becoming. It mirrors the interconnectedness of all. Both light and dark.
Michael Pierre Price
February 2024
Exhibitions
Date
2024 Jan-Mar
2023/2024
2023 Jan-Feb
2023 Jan-Feb
2022 Dec
2022 May
2022 Apr-Jul
2022 Apr
2022 Feb
2021 Oct
2021 Sep
2021 Sep
2021 Aug
2021 Jul
2021 Mar
2020 Oct
2020 Aug
2020 Aug
2020 Jul
2020 Mar
2019 Aug
2019 Jul
2019 Jun
2019 May
2019 Mar
2018 Aug
2018 Jun
2018 Apr
2017 Oct
2017 Oct
2017 Sep
2017 Aug
2017 Jun
2017 May
2016 Dec
2016 Sep
2016 May
2015 Jun
2012 Feb
Exhibition
The Wrong Biennale 2023/24
The Wrong Biennale 2023/24
The Future Of Printmaking
Book Marks
Digital
All Art Arizona
Techspressionism:Digital And Beyond
No Strangers
Redefining The Creator Economy
Techspressionism 2021
Collab #2 - A Calling For Utopia
Call Me Ishmael
All Art Arizona
Plus One
Spring Fever
No Strangers
All Art Arizona
√-1
Hendecagram
Chartreuse @ Chartreuse
No Strangers
Power Of Five Invitational
All Art Arizona
AAG Statewide Exhibition
Baker’s Dozen
free FORM
All Art Arizona
MAPS: Enigmatic Landscape
AZ Artists Guild Celebrating 90 Years
Off The Wall
Conception Arts: Phoenix
No Strangers
NightVisions VI
All Art Arizona
No Strangers
Off The Wall
All Art Arizona
Phinizy Photo Exhibit
Numinous
Venue
Online (Techspressionism: Cyberiana)
Online (Techspressionism: Digital And Beyond)
Mesa Community College Art Gallery
Cotuit Center For The Arts
Sandbox Studios
Art Intersection
Southampton Arts Center
Art Intersection
Mesa Community College Art Gallery
Online (Kunstmatrix)
Online (Kunstmatrix)
Five15Arts @ Chartreuse
Art Intersection
Five15Arts @ Chartreuse
Five15Arts @ Chartreuse
Art Intersection
Art Intersection
Five15Arts @ Chartreuse
Five15Arts @ Chartreuse
Five15Arts @ Chartreuse
Art Intersection
Five15Arts @ Chartreuse
Art Intersection
West Valley Art HQ
Five15Arts @ Chartreuse
Mesa Community College
Art Intersection
Coconino Center For The Arts
Sky Harbor Airport Museum
Art Intersection
The Duce
Art Intersection
Coconino Center For The Arts
Art Intersection
Art Intersection
Art Intersection
Art Intersection
Augusta Regional Airport
Firehouse Gallery
Location
Online
Online
Mesa, AZ
Cotuit, MA
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Gilbert, AZ
Southampton, NY
Gilbert, AZ
Mesa, AZ
Online
Online
Phoenix, AZ
Gilbert, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Gilbert, AZ
Gilbert, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Gilbert, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Gilbert, AZ
Surprise, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Mesa, AZ
Gilbert, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Gilbert, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Gilbert, AZ
Flagstaff, AZ
Gilbert, AZ
Gilbert, AZ
Gilbert, AZ
Gilbert, AZ
Augusta, GA
Louisville, KY
Type Of Show
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Solo
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Solo
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Solo
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Group
Two-Person