Featured Artist
Michael Quadland
Michael Quadland, a brilliant man who is both an artist and an academic, currently has sculptures on display at Stanek Gallery as a part of the exhibition “Wild Things.”
Michael Quadland is a contemporary painter and sculptor raised in western Massachusetts. Growing up with a natural gravitation towards art, Quadland’s first mode of expression was making “constructions” in the basement of his childhood home at 10 years old. He continued to pursue a major in Art at Dartmouth College, where he deepened his love for painting and sculpting.
Quadland’s career headed down a scientific path post-undergrad, as he continued his education at Yale University, obtaining a Masters of Public Health before completing a Ph.D. in psychology from New York University. Quadland ran a private psychotherapy practice in New York City while teaching and doing research to develop mental health resources for those impacted by the AIDS epidemic.
After spending the majority of his life advocating for public health, Quadland began to write fiction novels in the early 2000s. His books were loosely based on bioethical struggles in the LGBTQ+ community that he experienced firsthand in his professional career. This breakthrough in expression influenced Quadland’s return to his art practice; ready to uplift those in distress through messages of whimsy and playfulness. Quadland now occupies a renovated farmhouse in Litchfield, Connecticut where he focuses his empathy, creativity, and incredible intellect into creating art.
Aged Copper, ca. 2018. Acrylic on panel,
72 x 48 x 11 inches.
Black and Blue, 2020. Acrylic on panel, 48 x 48 x 5 inches.
Michael Quadland works simultaneously as a painter and a sculptor - embracing the convergence of the mediums. His creative practices follow a similar ideology: dive into the materials and let intuition lead the way. Seldom beginning with a sketch, Quadland’s work begins as his brush meets paint or when his hands encounter the clay or plaster. He finds release in expressing himself visually; unburdening himself from the directness of using words to express internal thoughts.
As you take a deeper look at his portfolio of paintings you’ll notice the tasteful touches of sculptural elements: hardware placed within the canvas, the manipulation of wood panels into unexpected shapes, and mesmerizing layers of acrylic paint.
Four Squares, 2019. Acrylic and hardware on panel, 48 x 48 × 2 inches.
As you examine his collection of bronze sculptures, you’ll notice the presence of his painterly touch through the enthusiastic carvings that bring dimension to every metallic surface.
Stability, 2023. Bronze, Edition of 8, 28.5 x 15 x 9 inches.
Versailles Louie, 2022.
Bronze, Edition of 8, 40 × 22 × 15 inches.
Michael Quadland’s eccentric bird sculptures are highlighted in our current exhibition, "Wild Things." These sculptures have been the artist’s primary focus for the past two years - introducing jovial, lovable characters to the homes of our collectors.
Living next door to a game preserve, Quadland has become accustomed to observing and feeding wandering pheasants that find their way into his backyard. He is in awe of their colors, shapes, migration patterns, loyalty to one another, and, most prominently, the unchained liberation that birds experience through flight. Channeling this freedom into his work, Quadland invents animated characters that bring amusing, lighthearted energy to any room they occupy.
Wading Bird 1, 2021. Bronze, Edition of 8, 23.5 x 18 x 5.5 inches.
"My sculpture in particular is somewhat whimsical and this no doubt is a response to all the suffering I have seen and continue to see in the world around us."
- Michael Quadland
Visit Michael Quadland’s spirited bird sculptures and observe how these unconfined creatures embody the liberation that the artist feels during the act of creation.