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My work is a social commentary concerning the inhumanity people are willing to inflict upon others. There is a rampant violence and exploitation in our world that infects every culture on earth. Violence seems to be a language everyone speaks and atrocities a thing people are willing to ignore. Researching or being exposed to these acts served as a point of departure for much of my work.

I have always had an intense interest in the connectivity of materials and a natural curiosity of how things fit together. Having a fundamental belief that all things are connected in some way has spurred me to experiment, combining materials to create harmony or discord. Each material has its own unique qualities and its own limitations. Experimenting with these traits often lead to unexpected changes. My tendency is to do something to a work, live with it, sharing its space while working on something else. I frequently manipulate a piece to a satisfactory end and set it aside for a time when inspiration and the environment surrounding the piece allows me to make changes and improvements. As the piece changes and evolves, so do I.

Michael Massaro