Flormal by Misha Hollenbach

Misha Hollenbach’s practice explores methods of merging contemporary culture with tribalism. Working across the mediums of collage, screen-printing, painting, sculpture and installation, his work is often driven by carnal desire, and a return to the basics/basis of human existence: evidenced by his yoga/sex collages, or exploration of abject bodily functions. Gesturing towards the legacy of Dadaism, Hollenbach is compelled to collect images and found objects, reconfiguring them as art objects to create new meanings through association. Recently his work has engaged ideas of energy transfer, experimenting with action painting and direct involvement with materials. Flormal is an exercise in balance. Looking at the perfect arrangements of Japanese floral arranging, Ikebana, Misha has collaged and painted his own arrangements, juxtaposing the serene and calculated with the energy of chaos and vandalism in his ink attacks. As one half of clothing label and publisher PAM and the driving force behind art/music super group THE CHANGES, Hollenbach has exhibited nationally and internationally, touring Italy during Milan Design Week, at such venues as Mu Gallery, Eindhoven; V1 Gallery, Copenhagen; Alleged Gallery, New York; Colette, Paris; and Deitch Projects, New York. Hollenbach graduated from a BFA (Painting) at RMIT in 1991, after a number of years of exhibiting collaboratively as part of THE CHANGES he embarked on a solo career as an artist in 2009.