10 minutes with Michelle

What role did art play in your childhood?

From an early age, I knew I liked drawing. I enjoyed creating worlds of my own. I always liked my art teachers and art classes. People would ask me to draw things for them. It was the first thing I took an interest in. It was the first hobby that gave me confidence. I didn’t know anything about a career in the arts. I just knew that the act of creating made me feel good.

What were some of your inspirations growing up?

I spent a lot of time in front of the TV as a kid. My first inspirations were definitely classic 2D animations. Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), The Fox and the Hound (1981), The Lion King (1994), Tom and Jerry, and Looney Tunes. They all had these beautiful atmospheric backgrounds and use of color that really put you in those worlds. There’s a few instagram accounts like @one.perfect.frame, @looneytunes_backgrounds, and @50scartoons dedicated to highlighting art from that era. 

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Looney Tunes, Jumpin’ Jupiter (1955)

I also loved movies that were meant for kids but dealt with serious themes, like FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992). As a kid, I appreciated when movies explored sad, scary, or serious themes because it meant they cared about our opinions too.

“I’m constantly trying to recreate that feeling in my work.”

As I got a little older, I would stay up late at night and watch Cartoon Network and MTV when things got weird. I loved Æon Flux, Daria, and Space Ghost Coast to Coast. I also watched a lot of music videos. I remember staying up one night and the Daft Punk One More Time music video came on. It was like time had stopped for me. I’m constantly trying to recreate that feeling in my work.

What kind of books are in your bookcase right now?

I collect general art and design books. I love browsing through different art mediums for inspiration. My favorites are Muse: Mickalene Thomas and a Jenny Holzer retrospective book. I also love non-fiction. I loved The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by bell hooks. I have a few cookbooks but Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential was a real treat. I have more self-help books than I’m willing to admit and books I’ve yet to read that are collecting dust.