Michael Tole

The Javelin Thrower

2024

In highly developed nations today there is a widespread alienation and loneliness that engenders fear and distrust, a restrictive self-righteousness of thought, and a dread of what-c...

Michael Tole says of his work… This work draws a connection between the didactic moralizing tendencies of Neo Classicism (represented in the style of the painting) and Modernism (represented in the architectural setting). Though modern art eschews the naturalistic imagery used by Neo Classicists, both movements pursued a self-important, austere, self-consciously masculine aesthetic that they saw as synonymous with virtue. Set in the MoMA courtyard, a passel of men lounge about, regarding a golden statue which looks terribly out of place in this modernist vitrine. The uncomfortable architectural setting, prisonlike and cold, provides a foil for the odalisque-like young men sprawled on hard stone benches and paying homage to the central idol. In my current work, The Revisionist Histories, I am writing letters to art history, literature, and mythology in an attempt to reflect the social changes that have reshaped our society over the past century.  As part of this agenda, I explore the evolution of gender norms, power dynamics, and representation within Western visual culture and what this implies for the negotiation between pleasure, justice, and our culturally specific discourse on beauty.    The seed for The Revisionist Histories was sewn when I caught a glimpse of my preteen daughters watching music videos on their iPad as I chopped veggies for dinner.  Out of the corner of my eye I caught glimpses of music videos featuring Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, and Doja Cat gyrating across the tiny screen.  A better parent might have snatched the iPad away, but I was overcome with hallucinatory visions of this pop diva...

Ginger Williams Cook is a painter, published illustrator, and arts educator based in Jackson, MS. Her paintings have been featured in numerous exhibitions, publications, and media. G...

This is a meditation on the curious relationship that has developed between contemporary body goals, the current perception of our “natural diet,” and the impact that diet may have on our environment. In my current work, The Revisionist Histories, I am writing letters to art history, literature, and mythology in an attempt to redress past wrongs, re-draw archetypes, and reflect the social changes that have reshaped our society over the past century. As part of this agenda, I explore the evolution of gender norms, power dynamics, and representation within Western visual culture and what this implies for the negotiation between pleasure, justice, and our culturally specific discourse on beauty. Oddly enough, this work is inspired in part by my pre-teen daughters’ growing musical interests which exposed me for the first time to the world of music videos (I had a sheltered childhood as my parents couldn’t afford cable TV). My daughters are primarily interested in pop divas...

Standing Nude (29) John F. Leonard American (1921–1987) Date: circa 1965 Oil on Board Size: 28 in. x 22 in. (71.12 cm x 55.88 cm)

"Sagittarius" (2017) by Clarence Rich Acrylic on canvas Zodiac sign, astrology art, figurative centaur image Vertical orientation, measures 36" H x 24...

The inspiration for Daniel Wimmer’s art consistently stems from the human body. He is particularly fascinated by the beautiful colors of the skin and is constantly searching for intr...

A black nude female figure painted loosely on a Studland cream board which has a fine surface with good absorption. The mannered style of this figure with this type of board lends it...