“Untitled 135” by Michael Banks

12 x 9 inches, acrylic on paper, original — unframed

Michael Banks was born in 1972 and was raised by his mother in a housing project in north Alabama. He graduated from high school and was a star athlete. As a child Michael loved to draw and paint and create from whatever materials he could find. His mother encouraged him,and he continued to create until November 1992, when his mother died. In his grief, Michaels desire for making art left him. He fell into a great depression and stopped painting.

For five years Michaels life took many different turns during his struggle with depression and alcohol addiction. Finally, in 1997, he recalled the hope and encouragement that his mother had given him,and he began to paint again. Since then he has experimented with various techniques combining both found objects, building materials as well as artists materials. He developed a style using roofing tar as an undercoating on wood with artists paint incising subtle nuances.

While painting Michael is totally absorbed in his work, reacting without deep thought or planning. Painting, for him, is almost an automatic process. When questioned about what he means by a certain part of a painting, he often responds, It surprises me what I have painted when I have finished. I was just in my groove and this is what came out. Wow.