Michael Reeder
Michael Reeder is an Urban Contemporary artist hailing from Dallas, TX. His artistic practice involves painting in various mediums, including acrylic, spray paint, oil, rubberized undercoating, and screen print. His work often expands beyond the confines of gallery spaces and manifests on expansive exterior walls.
Reeder's extensive studies in fine art, coupled with his background in graphic design and early exposure to graffiti, culminate in the distinctive style for which he is renowned today. His artwork commands attention through a daring fusion of vibrant colors, striking geometric patterns, and lifelike imagery. His figurative pieces possess a weightiness, saturated with vivid, eye-catching hues and imagery that reflect a profound exploration of identity and the inexorable nature of human mortality.
Reeder's creations have been showcased both domestically and internationally and featured prominently in esteemed printed publications such as New American Paintings, Le Petit Voyeur, and Hi-Fructose Magazine. Additionally, Michael has actively engaged in collaborative endeavors with various brands, including Santa Cruz Skateboards, New Balance, and Specialized Bicycles.
Artist Statement
My work explores the intersection of imagination, personal narrative, and the complexities of the creative process. Humor and absurdity play an essential role in my practice, often revealing themselves through unconventional symbolism, exaggerated forms, or compositions that feel slightly off-kilter. I am drawn to the way ideas develop, shift, and collide during the act of creation and how inspiration can be elusive, chaotic, or absurd. This process-driven approach allows me to capture moments of discovery and contradiction, presenting imagery that feels both personal and universal. I intend to create work that invites curiosity, offering viewers a glimpse into a world where meaning is fluid and the unexpected becomes a vital part of the narrative.
reederone.com
What themes or emotions are you exploring in your current work?
This body of work focuses on the creative process itself and its various stages of how ideas form, shift, and sometimes unravel. There's a through-line of humor and absurdity in the work, not as punchlines but as reflections of how strange it is to chase meaning through a bunch of shapes and symbols. Have you ever tried to grab smoke with a paintbrush?
What does your creative process look like?
It's part improvisation and part stubborn problem-solving. I usually start with a loose gestural sketch in an attempt to feel out the general composition and see if what's in my head can translate to IRL form. Then, I'll begin gathering reference imagery and start building the image in Photoshop. Next, I'll move on to painting the image, all the while remaining open to detours and continuing to react to what emerges. Sometimes, it flows, and sometimes, I wrestle with the surface until something clicks or at least stops bothering me. I'm more interested in getting somewhere unexpected and fresh rather than trying to create something already predetermined and figured out.
What inspires you outside of the visual arts?
I pull a lot from outside noise, such as music, dreams, overheard conversations, and the general weirdness of being alive. Philosophy and psychology tend to sneak in, especially when I'm stuck. Sometimes, an idea comes from something mundane, like the shape of a crack in the sidewalk or a badly translated sign. Inspiration doesn't always announce itself; it just drifts in wearing a disguise.
How do you balance personal expression with the business side of your career?
I treat the studio as a space where I can let go of expectations and follow the work wherever it wants to go. That part stays sacred. Outside of that, I've learned how to frame and present the work to fit within a professional context, but I try not to let that influence the creative process itself. The challenge is keeping the art honest, even as it moves through systems that aren't.
What do you hope viewers feel or take away from your work?
Ideally, a sense of curiosity. I'm not aiming for a specific message as much as an experience or something that feels familiar but strange or unresolved in a way that invites reflection. If the work lingers and encourages viewers to imagine their own meaning, I think it's doing its job.
