Michael Whiting is one of my favorite sculptors that we represent at the gallery and "Greater Times" is from his exhibition "I'm a Square" which took place in October of 2005. It was really one of the most blissed out shows of color and form that we've ever showcased and really a huge development for Michael in terms of the level of complexity and the sheer pleasure inherent in the works. "Greater Times" is one of the show-pieces that really resonated with me from the title itself (which had a lot to bear on our current frame of mind that year) down to the level of execution that is one of the artists first use of three colors within a 3-dimensional work. Michael's concept is to create minimalist forms along the lines of early pixel-based computer technology, primarily with direct references to early video-games. What's truly remarkable about this concept is that it appeals to a wide variety of sensibilities, the gaming reference really only striking a small percentage of his collectors (who are generally more drawn to his exceptional massing and precise construction of forms). Whiting finishes each piece with automotive paint which he then distresses to create a "relic" of modern times. The exhibition was a big success and fortunately my wife decided to buy this piece for me for christmas that year. Michael continues to build upon his premise unabated with major public commissions in the works and two of his most recent sculptures from 2007's "Walk in the Park" having recently been selected for a public exhibition in Colorado Springs juried by the esteemed curator Adam Lerner (from the Lab at Belmar).
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