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UPTOWN
Hand Embellished, Giclee
on Canvas
195 S.N. 25 APs
16" x 50"
It’s another night on the town
with contemporary artist Michael Flohr. But this time we are
going “Uptown”, where the hip and trendy nightspots
entertain the locals with a savvy and flair defiantly for the
people who inhabit the surrounding neighborhoods. Check out
the hottest new bands, take in a poetry reading, have a latte
or a chocolate martini. Whatever you Fashionistas crave, you
can find it “Uptown”.
Bursting with Flohr’s signature
color palette of bold hues: the indigo and deep purple of the
night juxtapose with the vibrant orange and yellow that light
up the hot spots. The street even sparkles like a sizzling dance
floor. While a group of friends take to the street, we’ll
find out what’s happening Uptown. It’s Flohr’s
quiet celebration of understated affluence and cozy reunions.
Not far from home, “Uptown” toasts to the local
restaurants and pubs where everybody knows your name and the
names that keep coming back. Afterall, “Uptown”
isn’t for everybody - only those who know what’s
up!
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PARISIAN
NIGHTS
Hand Embellished, Giclee
on Canvas
195 S.N. 25 APs
22" x 29"
Contemporary painter Michael Flohr's
"Parisian Nights" is the quintessence of an evening
of true "joie de vivre" on a rainy night in Paris.
Illuminated by the lights of the Eiffel Tower in the distance,
passion and intrigue lurk in the shadows of the Arc de Triomphe.
A kaleidoscope of color covers Flohr's canvas as he recalls
the magic and mystery of this fateful Paris night. The composition
for this work was captured via photograph during a late night
dinner rendezvous at a Paris café, with his wife, Melissa.
The artist found himself captivated by his fascination with
Paris - its architecture, history and aura of romance. Spurred
by creative inspiration, Flohr was compelled to walk the streets
as he awaited his meal to be served. Consumed in his reverie
as he photographed every nuance of this enchanted city, Flohr
soon found himself lost in the streets of Paris. A gentle rain
began to fall. He treks for hours to find his way back to the
café, all the while enjoying a certain "je ne sais
quoi" (I don't know what) as he found himself, though lost,
fantastically aware of the carefree joy of Paris life. Ironically,
"Parisian Nights" possesses a visual ambiguity of
time and place. As if it could be anywhere one's passion and
intrigue may lead them - anywhere one can find their true "joie
de vivre" on a seemingly lost, rainy night.
SOLD OUT EDITION
We have 1 available
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SUNSET
GRILL
Hand Embellished, Giclee
on Canvas
195 S.N. 25 APs
36" x 48"
SOLD OUT EDITION
We have 1 available
Imagine a place -- warm and cozy, filled
with familiar, friendly faces, good food for the asking and
libations of your choosing. Music to soothe even the weariest
of troubled souls and an atmosphere that welcomes anyone who
walks in the front door. Hear the distant rumble of the ocean
tide and feel the warmth of the setting sun as its rays reflect
through the windows putting an end to the day. Such are the
makings of an artist’s fancy --- and fantasy. Contemporary
painter Michael Flohr’s “Sunset Grill” is
just such a fictitious scenario, yet one that has played countless
times in his personal reality. He effortlessly captures these
timeless moments in a painting that is ambiguous yet familiar.
He successfully renders a welcoming place were we all have been
before – and hope to go again. And again you will -- for
each time you glance at this beautiful work of art, you will
be drawn to the comfort of old friends, the tranquility of leisure
time and ultimately, nourish your soul. With an endless palette
of color applied like a tapestry of texture, Flohr furiously
replays these simple moments in his mind, capturing all the
nuances of pleasure and satisfaction, warmth and relaxation.
Through depth of color and composition we are drawn into the
scene. The figures in the forefront seem to relish in the silent
reverie of the moment. Perhaps contemplating the day, or just
being. Come in. Have a seat. And enjoy the peaceful, easy feeling
of just being with Michael Flohr.
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Michael Flohr paints
in a style called urban impressionism. His atmospheric street
scenes are brilliantly composed with bold color applications
and fascinating narrative lines.
It is a rare and celebrated occasion
when an artist is discovered that has a unique talent, fresh
vision and exceptional ability to transcend artistic predisposition.
Painter Michael Flohr is just such an artist. Flohr’s
work is a visual adventure. Not only in its exquisite beauty,
obvious artistic integrity and the emotion elicited in every
work of art, but in the artist’s ability to effect the
invention of a genre unique and true in and of itself in today’s
contemporary art world. Depicting ordinary moments in extraordinary
ways, Flohr’s work is an intellectually artistic mastery
of color, perspective, technique and vision.
Blazing a trail that is sure
to influence the eyes of fine art collectors around the world,
Flohr’s work is also sure to impact other emerging artists
for years to come. Michael Flohr is a young California artist,
currently living and working in San Diego where he was born
and raised. Recognizing his artistic aptitude at a very early
age, Flohr’s parents enrolled him in his first art class
at the age of five. His family’s perpetual encouragement
and conviction in his talents led him to pursue a degree at
the San Francisco Academy of Art College. At the academy, Flohr
was able to experiment with all types of media and artistic
styles. In 1999, Flohr’s propensity for illustration was
recognized by his acceptance into New York’s Society of
Illustrators, where he joined the ranks of legendary predecessors
such as Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parrish and N.C. Wyeth. He
was awarded the Herman Lambert scholarship by the Society in
the following year. Flohr graduated from the Academy of Art
in 2000 and was honored with “Best of Show” for
his painting titled, “Irish Coffee” at the Academy’s
spring exhibition that same year. Shortly thereafter, three
of Flohr’s paintings were selected for exhibition at the
de Young Museum, San Francisco’s oldest public museum
located in Golden Gate Park. There, his work hung in the company
of other master painters including one of Flohr’s most
revered inspirations, Claude Monet.
Boasting acceptance into a museum
environment so early into his artistic career is a sure indication
that this is an emerging artist to be watched. In a contemporary
art world that has craved a fresh, new approach in the creation
of effectual works of art, Flohr fills this void with his series
of paintings that cover subject matter ranging from nightlife
scenes, cityscapes, still lifes and figurative portraiture.
Flohr’s work is largely urban in content, frantic in execution
yet solemn in interpretation. His paintings have an eerie ability
to capture a fleeting moment, as if from a peripheral vision,
resulting in a permanent “déjà vu”
for the outsider looking in. Bordering the surreal, yet strangely
familiar, Flohr’s images capture what seem to be the artist’s
furious study of a gloriously regular moment in time. A moment
it seems in which many can relate. The artist’s paintings
are a patchwork of avant-garde, impressionistic color exhibiting
a stylistic fortitude that succeeds in redefining impressionism
and abstract expressionism. Static movement is uniquely portrayed
in his work through his brushstroke technique, masterful use
of light and sumptuous, yet somber color.
Flohr states, “There is
a flow that I try to keep in my paintings that evolves into
a story of colors and movement that breathe together. A coronation
of small, square strokes of premeditated color create the rhythm
throughout a piece. Then I combine them with broad brush strokes
that serve to ‘marry’ the elements together. I approach
each canvas with ‘aggressive subtleness’. My goal
as a modern impressionist is to capture a gesture and a mood,
not necessarily every pore on the face of a person depicted
in one of my paintings. I want my figures to be a part of the
painting, not the painting itself. They work together in the
environment creating the movement and emotion in a piece. I
like to show light and how it travels, where it lands and how
it can change color. Light alone can change the look or the
mood of a place.” Ultimately, it is these qualities in
Flohr’s work that predominate in its appeal. Flohr claims
his biggest inspiration in creating his art is everyday life.
He protests, “I have a huge passion to record humanity
on canvas, the good and the bad, it is all beautiful to me.”
He strives to express the familiar in his work and communicate
a common thread among his subjects and his viewers. “I
want to tell a story with substance,” Flohr admits. And
he achieves this with a genius of insight and artistic wherewithal
unique to his work and a man of his young years.
A trip to Europe upon his graduation
from the Academy was influential in his interest in European
culture and proved to be an enlightening experience for the
artist and his work. It was this experience that led him to
pursue the desire to capture the nuances of social interaction,
city nightlife and cityscapes as subject matter for his art.
The artist states, “Seeing strangers intermingle in strange,
new places is an inspiration to me. I am the guy that can be
found out with friends in a café and notice a beautiful,
warm, orange-violet light chipping on peoples’ faces across
the room. I am immediately distracted and thinking of ways to
combine color and capture that moment in my next painting.”
Flohr admits to being inspired
by the all-important and influential works of impressionist
artists throughout history, specifically: Pissaro, Monet, Manet
and Degas. Like these artists, Flohr prefers to work in oils
and comments, “I love oil paint because of its durability
and the richness it brings to the canvas. I also believe that
most people with an appreciation for art respect an artist’s
use of this classic medium.” Flohr does not work with
static models. Instead, he will sketch “in the moment”
as a scene unfolds, most often with charcoal. Many times, his
sketches will become works of art in themselves. On occasion,
the artist will work with candid photographs. Capturing the
visual clues in a scene is imperative to Flohr as he considers
the “overwhelming choices of color” used to create
his interpretation of an image. The artist comments, “Observation
is everything for me. Whether it is seen, heard or read, it
is all connected to that which can be processed into a visual.”
Michael Flohr’s passion for his art parallels his passion
for life. As he strives to be true to himself, his family and
friends, he admits his fiancée, Melissa “is my
biggest, new-found inspiration in a way I cannot describe.”
As he grows as a person and evolves as an artist, enthusiasts
of the arts are sure to enjoy the fruits of his commentaries
on the world around him – and in the end, the one that
surrounds us all.
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Michael
Flohr - BIO