Michael Wilkinson

"Now, more than ever, our world needs a contemporary art of beauty and meaning; an art rooted in realism that portrays the good and the beautiful in the human spirit -- and points to the glorious possibilities of our existence."

These words of the sculptor Michael Wilkinson communicate the essence and underscore the universal appeal of his remarkable, life-affirming art. A Romantic Realist, with the ability to render the human figure in all its classical glory, Wilkinson is emerging as a preeminent sculptor of our time. His art, while rooted deeply in the classical and romantic traditions and influenced by elements of the Japanese esthetic, is unmistakably contemporary. With themes as universal as they are timeless, Wilkinson's work resonates with, and affirms the highest yearnings of the human spirit.

Michael Wilkinson's early training was unique preparation for his art. While serving in the Air Force as an illustrator, he was posted in Japan, where he studied Japanese art and architecture. The harmony and simple elegance of the Japanese esthetic made an impression on the young artist and he worked to integrate its principles into his thinking. The influence of classical western art was strengthened when, in 1978, he traveled to Europe. There he studied the great works of the ancient Greeks and Michelangelo. The result of these disparate influences is a synthesis of the strong classical heritage of the West and the refined simplicity of the East, evident in all of Wilkinson's work. Upon his return from Europe he moved to New York City. While supporting himself, he worked alone at mastering the fundamentals of sculpture and modeling images that reflected his evolving ideas about art. Years earlier he had read The Romantic Manifesto by Ayn Rand and had become interested in her ideas about a category of art called Romantic Realism. Now he began integrating a radical, consciously held esthetic theory with his art.

From the beginning, Wilkinson's aim was to work exclusively in bronze, but in 1984 he became interested in clear acrylic, finding in its optical properties new possibilities for conveying the ideas central to his art. He now dedicates himself to creating both bronze and acrylic sculpture.

Michael Wilkinson's sculpture appears in many private and public art collections and is exhibited in fine art galleries worldwide. He lives and works in New York City and attends several one-man exhibitions of his work per year.