Michael Freedman - Drying Lake
82 x 57 cm, oil and acrylic paint with silver foil on scorched board mounted on 3 ply wood, framed, 2014
Inspired by a visit to the Etosha pan in Namibia, this work reflects the devastation a long drought brought to the region, adversely affecting human and animal life and much needed irrigation for even subsistence agriculture. The medium and materials provide a powerful image and complement the reality of desert life.
Michael Freedman
Driven by his values, Michael’s work evokes an emotional response to environmental destruction. He aims to challenge people’s perception of reality and promote change. He uses colour, texture and mixed media to convey themes in abstract paintings. Eroded steel reflects the Earth’s destruction, whilst paradoxically, producing beautiful, aleatonic (random/chance) patterns. Michael has taken inspiration from travel including wilderness experience in Antarctica, Namibia, Canadian Tundra, Andes and South East Asian jungles. He graduated from University College London, Oxford and the University of Saskatchewan, followed by a business career in strategy and consulting, and a parallel political career advising the Labour Party at Cabinet level. He undertook a BA in Fine Art from Chelsea and Wimbledon.