Through a street art aesthetic, artist Michael Fischerkeller offers a commentary on today’s political, economic, and social issues. His stark yet elegant paintings span large canvases, the size and weight consistent with the gravity of the issues to which they speak. Using acrylic spray paint, a street artist’s medium, Fischerkeller boldly and symbolically relays his message, as the “street” is most often and most deprived of social justice. Fischerkeller’s timely exhibit, “The Art of Politics,” will be on display in The Art League Gallery September 7–October 2, 2016.
After a period of reading-based meditation followed by a purchase of street art, Fischerkeller, who holds a PhD in Political Science, discovered that visual art was the most effective means for him to communicate today’s complex social and humanitarian issues, and ultimately, the best way for him to motivate social change among a wide audience.
Fischerkeller is not interested in commenting on political personalities, but rather on issues. He seeks to capture and represent a shared social conscience through beauty, satire, and whimsy. By referencing humanist values such as integrity, humility, compassion, selflessness, and responsibility, he seeks to convey that issues including homelessness, climate change, and equality are relevant to all regardless of political affiliation.”
His works are full of symbolism, from his choice of medium, size of canvas, to each entity in his compositions. Imagery of the feminine from past-centuries fine art masters is appropriated and embedded into Fischerkeller’s work, eluding to the imbalance between the feminine and masculine in society which he believes is a root cause of many of the issues being faced today.
Fischerkeller holds a BA and M.Phil. from the University of Pittsburgh and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Ohio State University. He is a self-taught artist, having developed his own technique through the use of digital image manipulation, stencils, and acrylic spray paint. Fischerkeller found his way into the visual arts just three years ago, and has already found wide spread success. His work has been shown throughout the United States in group and solo exhibitions. He’s currently a member of The Art League, the Torpedo Factory Artists Association, and the Washington Project for the Arts.