Michael Dixon
Once Lost Now Found: One Drop of Blood Between Us, 2023.
Michael Dixon
Painter Albion, Michigan
From the Press Release: DENVER (June 28th, 2023) – Michael Dixon is PlatteForum’s visiting resident artist this summer. Hailing from Albion, MI, Dixon is an oil painter and full professor of art at Albion College. Dixon was born in 1976 to a white mother and black father in San Diego, CA. After participating in genetic testing Dixon found a sister, and subsequently learned he was one of eleven children. This discovery also provided his biological father’s name and identity. Having never met his biological father, Once Lost Now Found: One-Drop of Blood Between Us is a new body of work about his missing biological father and his new-found family members. After 47-years of wondering, Dixon is at the beginning of a new chapter of discovery both personally and artistically.
Dixon is a celebrated artist who has been the recipient of numerous awards and grants including a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, Joan Mitchell Foundation Emergency Grant, Puffin Foundation Grant, Blanchard Fellowship, and Phi Beta Kappa Scholar of the Year Award. Dixon has received numerous artist residencies including the Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program, Yaddo, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the Joan Mitchell Center. His works can be found in the personal collections of artists Nick Cave and Beverly McIver, and in the Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African Art.
When discussing his work Dixon says: “When I conceptualize racial identity, I think about how we see ourselves (self-identify) and how others perceive our identities. I self-identify as black in America for several reasons including racial pride; DNA results; American History; the “one-drop of blood rule;” and white racism. However, my perceived racial identity has always been fluid and dynamic because of the way I look. My racial identity is often a question for others. I will sometimes pass as white and gain entry to an unfiltered white world. This is often where I get to listen in on how some people really feel about people of color.”
The paintings in Once Lost Now Found: One Drop of Blood Between Us represent the beginnings of discovering his ten new siblings and his biological father. Dixon’s paintings are helping him process what it is to find family and connection, exploring the in-between space of mixed-race identity, and feeling both excluded and a part of white and black America. PlatteForum’s ArtLab interns have worked with Dixon on paintings throughout the summer learning self-portrait, performance art and traditional oil painting techniques. Join PlatteForum for an opening reception on July 28th, 2023, where ArtLab interns paintings’ will be displayed alongside Dixon’s work in the Annex Gallery at 3575 Ringsby Ct. #103, Denver, CO 80216.
michaeldixonart.com
@michaeldixonpainter
Residency Period: 06/03/23 - 07/28/23
Exhibition opening: 07/28/23
Exhibition Dates: 07/28/2023 - 08/16/2023
PlatteForum Annex Gallery: 3575 Ringsby Ct. Denver, CO 80216
