Collection of Sarah Smither, Artist's daughter

The tradition of life drawing often shows the nude posed and displayed. While Michael trained to render the figure anatomically, muscle and bone under skin ,he was also influenced by painter’s like Stanley Spencer and Bonnard and the intimacy they gave to domestic subjects-ie Bonnard “ Wife in the bath”. As a young father Michael was able to observe and record first hand the moments of understanding that became a huge part of his vocation as an artist.These drawings began to grow into paintings of domestic life. Fascinated by the innocence and determination, the demand for attention- the child features foremost. While aware that some may find these images confronting, even though part of every parent’s experience, the artist is not one to uphold society’s double standards so can only paint with the eyes of truth . In these times of sexualisation, the body as means rather than a container of soul, how does the viewer react now? Through out art history the mother and child have been paramount as the expression of what it is to be a human being- the representation of life’s very way of making new life. With unwanted clarity I see myself in this work as we all once were, innocent, natural and unbowed- unaware of the evils set to enslave us. Sarah Smither