Michael Newberry is an American painter based in Idyllwild, California. He is a representational artist, blending a variety of influences, notably Rembrandt and the French Impressionists. His major works are typically life-sized canvases.
Education and early career
He began painting at age 11, after discovering Rembrandt. He studied fine arts at the University of Southern California from 1974 to 1977 and was mentored by American modernist Edgar Ewing. Leaving USC before graduating to study at the Royal Academy at the Hague, in the Netherlands, which he attended from 1977–1978, later attending the Free Academy Psychopolis from 1978 to 1981. Outside of his studies he began creating canvases of life-sized solitary nudes, a practice he continues through to today. ' is a good example from this period. Starting around 1980 Newberry began incorporating realism, quickly followed up by narrative themes such as with this 84 x 60 1984 painting, '.
Mid-career
Continuing to paint without interruption since his twenties Newberry worked on a series of life sized nudes including Denouement, Ascension Day, Absorption, and Counterpose. These were exhibited in a self-promoted exhibition in Beverly Hills in 1990. After 4 years of teaching at Otis College of Art and Design, he moved to Rhodes, Greece. Incorporating ancient myths with contemporary people and places he painted Icarus Landing, and he also completed Synergy, Release, and Slipper which were previously begun in Los Angeles and were 7 years in the making. Briefly living in Florida and then moving to Brooklyn Newberry completed Artemis, 2006, and Venus, 2008before moving to Santa Monica. There he opened the Newberry Gallery showing artists such as William Wray and Robin Purcell as well as his own works. Currently Newberry resides in the Los Angeles Arts District.
He created and organized the Foundation for the Advancement of Art, which held a conference "Innovation, Substance, Vision: The Future of Art" at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan on October 6, 2003, featuring speakers: philosophers Stephen Hicks and David Kelley, vision scientist Jan Koenderick, and sculptor Martine Vaugel. The mission of the Foundation was to recognize and promote innovative, contemporary representational painters and sculptors.
Criticism
Rockford University philosopher Dr. Stephen Hicks writes: "Newberry's work speaks to the senses, the intellect, and the passions of those who do not need the judgment of history to tell them what is great" About Icarus Landing, Hicks writes: "the thematic elements are so rich – reversing both the Greek and Christian messages: success following boldness rather than failure following boldness; and a quietly confident success rather than suffering and sacrifice." In an introductory essay to the Newberry Archive, the archive's creator Brett Holverstott explores how Rembrandt's Danae is a precedent for Newberry's Denouement.
