
As a sculptor privileged to have my work in the public sphere, I feel a responsibility to engage the viewer and provide a positive visual presence to the community. My journey in the arts began some 35 years ago in photography. Architectural studies broadened my artistic horizons as I learned how the integration of materials in a thoughtful design impacts the environment. In a transition from architecture to sculpture, I found expression in creating art from industrial remnants, and cast-offs.
With inspiration from the masters of the genre, my work arises from my experiences and things I love - jazz, space, nature, mankind, and beauty in all its manifestations. The Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, beauty in the imperfect, and the natural time-worn patina, also resonates in my art. My sculptures typically begin with a trip to the metal yard. There, among the industrial detritus, I gather my palette, much as a painter chooses their paints. From the shapes and textures I rescue, a conversation takes place - a visual conversation - that results in the three-dimensional work comprising my sculptures.
This historic house and grounds are located in the North side of Lansing in the historic neighborhood of Old Town
Michael Angelo Magnotta, 73, grew up in the midwest (MI) in a large Italian-Irish family. His great-grandfather Fischetti was a metal artist in Italy. A graduate of Michigan State University, Michael did postgraduate work and was employed in Detroit during the ’70s, appreciating its industrial tenor and multifaceted socio-economic milieu. Photography was his main artistic endeavor during this time.
In 1987, Michael moved to San Diego, CA, and developed a love for the multicultural area, the ocean, freedom, and wonders of southern California. Here he undertook the study of architecture at the New School of Architecture, rehabbing homes along with his studies, while employed with the Federal Court. Family responsibilities brought him back to Michigan in 2002, but he now divides his time between there and San Diego. Retired from court work in 2007, Michael has been working as a metal sculptor since that time, bringing a synthesis of his photographic, architectural, and welding skills to bear on this art form. Michael is married, a father of three daughters, and enjoys five grandchildren.