Michael Madden | Art Workers Guild

Introduction

Michael Madden apprentice-trained as a specialist decorator, working in wealthy London homes, European and London hotels and Sultan’s palaces, then attended the City & Guilds of London Art School to learn traditional restoration techniques, carving and figurative modeling. He later received an MA Art in Architecture from UEL. Working since then on many historic projects, he now generally makes new work that fits into a period context. Having spent many years learning traditional skills and restoring historic artefacts, he tries to ensure that whatever he makes possesses the quality and feeling of a particular period, to the point where he often feels out of time with the contemporary definition of art - especially the idea that important ‘artists’ have to employ ‘technicians’ to make work for them. On the sculptural side he has worked on important public projects in terracotta, wood (see photos) and bronze (see website). His painted work ranges from specialist decorating, murals, church decoration to restoring intricate lacquer pieces and painted furniture.

His influences are from many eras and regions of the world, as well as from certain 20th century artists and he is drawn to art which originally had a metaphysical or ceremonial function and tries to imbue his work with something of those qualities. He now makes work for a gallery context also…... “I have developed my traditional skills, and source historic iconography in order to create painted and carved works which try to challenge commonly held assumptions, by utilizing an element of ‘social and historic surrealism’ with some humour (see Adam and Steve and The Almighty Cheeseburger and Fries in photos). The reason I borrow and steal from religious iconography is because we now live with the perceived threat of disaster on many fronts, trying to deal psychologically and morally with issues like global warming, genetic engineering, factory farming and the rise of religious fundamentalism etc; at the same time as trying to keep afloat in a global free market, which has helped to create environmental and economic chaos. Our societal values still retain vestiges of our Christian heritage; so these works are made in order to ask cultural, environmental and moral questions and I defend the fact that some verge on the political by quoting George Orwell’s view, ‘the opinion that art should have nothing to do with politics is itself a political attitude’. This may seem like a strange position for a traditional artist, but is my way of engaging with contemporary issues, as my paid work is concerned only with the past.”