About the Artist
Michael Veverka
Born August 1947 in Austin, Minnesota, Michael Veverka was a dynamic rabble-riser kid and grew into an even more eccentric artist who calls himself the "Picasso of the 21st Century."
With undergrad and postgraduate studies from the U of M Minneapolis and Mankato State, Mike launched into art and teaching. He became an art instructor at Rosemount Middle School and Wycoff Public Schools and retired from District 196 Public Schools in 2004.
Mike had a series of exhibitions starting in 1971 - 2014. In 2020, Metro Twin Cities gallery was born to showcase all his work from the past 40 years.
Take a look at the artist's thoughts on painting below.
The artist’s thoughts on painting
Painting reflects an existentialist representation of an intellectual and emotional expression of a concentrated area of thought. It is ultimately derived from an aesthetic response to everyday visual phenomena. Through painting, not only is a personal truth revealed but a universal one. To prove integral, a painting must be both specific and general realistic and abstract, innovative and relevant. To prove relevancy, a painting must force a reaction from the viewer, either positive or negative. Achieving ultimate success must be dynamic, powerful, provocative, and intriguing.
The body of work exhibited here represents an entire career of fascination with the human figure. I have found the shapes and forms which exist in the human form to be both very compelling and challenging to create within a composition.
Earlier works were rendered very realistic, relying on the accuracy of the likeness to the model and the emotional state of the model. As my career progressed, I felt a need to express myself more freely and to rely more on my imagination in developing the composition.
