|
Mike Baggetta’s abstract expressionist paintings are an evolution from his years of drawing and painting, his formal art training, and his professional design background. It is evident that his experience has shaped the direction of his work. “I’m fascinated with the physicality of paint and the juxtaposition of texture and color to create compositions that are both dynamic and highly poetic,” Baggetta explains.
Mike was born in New Jersey and grew up in Virginia where his fascination for the visual world was first nourished. Baggetta’s family moved to Southern California in the early 70’s. Baggetta worked part time for Disneyland where his talent and drive were recognized by the Disney staff. In 1980 he was asked to join the creative team being formed for the Tokyo Disneyland project. Continuing to pursue creative challenges, he left what had become a lucrative position to attend the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA.
In 1984 Baggetta graduated from Art Center College of Design with honors. He quickly developed a reputation as a leading graphic designer and art director, opening his own design studio, Baggetta & Associates, creating video packaging, posters, catalogs and print advertising materials for many of the top movie studios in Hollywood, such as MGM/UA, Universal, Warner Bros. and Disney/Buena Vista.
In 1993 Baggetta moved north to Portland, Oregon with his wife and their two sons. The combination of the diverse beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the vibrant arts community motivated Baggetta to reconnect with drawing and painting. Almost immediately Baggetta had a resonant connection with the abstract genre, finding a voice in the exuberant layering of paint in the abstract expressionist realm. It is evident that Baggetta's background strongly informs his work with a clarity of design and color.
Each of Baggetta’s pieces begins as a field of textured color and is subsequently layered with additional color and texture. “Generally a piece will let me know when it is finished” explains Mike, “I allow the unexpected to happen and that can completely change the original direction of the artwork.” Through these simple compositions and rich layering of paint and texture, the painting speaks beyond culture and time. “In many ways creating art is the documentation of a moment, the fingerprint of the energy that is passing through us at that point in time.”
Shows & Exhibits
________________________________________________________
Mike Baggetta, Marla Baggetta, BICA Gallery, Bend, OR Oct. 2009
Art In The Pearl - Fine Arts Festival, Portland, OR, September 2009
Art in the High Desert Arts Festival, Bend, OR, August 2009
Bellevue Art Museum Show, Bellevue Square, WA, July 2009
Art on the Square, Belleville, IL, May 2009
Cottonwood Art Festival, Dallas, TX, May 2009
Scottsdale Arts Festival, Scottsdale, AZ, March 2009
La Quinta Arts Festival, La Quinta, CA, March 2009
Art In The Pearl - Fine Arts Festival, Portland, OR, September 2008
Art in the High Desert Arts Festival, Bend, OR, August 2008
Bellevue Art Museum Show, Bellevue Square, WA, July 2008
Paradigm Shift, Oswego Lake Gallery, Lake Oswego, OR June 2008
La Quinta Arts Festival, La Quinta, CA, March 2008
Mike Baggetta-Recent Paintings, Albina Bank, Portland, OR, Nov. 2007
Art In The Pearl - Fine Arts Festival, Portland, OR, September 2007
Bellevue Art Museum Show, Bellevue Square, WA, July 2007
Des Moines Arts Festival, Des Moines, IA, June 2007
Los Altos Rotary Arts Show, Los Altos, CA, May 2007
La Quinta Arts Festival, La Quinta, CA, March 2007
Aggregate, Oswego Lake Gallery, Lake Oswego, OR February 2007
Art In The Pearl - Fine Arts Festival, Portland, OR, August 2006
Bellevue Art Museum Show, Bellevue Square, WA, July 2006
Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, Lake Oswego, OR, June 2006
La Quinta Arts Festival, La Quinta, CA, March 2006
Abstraction, West Linn Library Gallery, West Linn, OR, December 2005
Plein Air Paintings, West Linn Library Gallery, West Linn, OR, October 2003
Baggetta After Dark, Heritage House Gallery, Lake Oswego, OR, Sept. 2002
Visual Chronicle, Lake Oswego Arts Foundation, Lake Oswego, OR, June 2002
Return to Top
|
|
