Michael Brangoccio

The paintings of Michael Brangoccio depict animals and objects in unfamiliar contexts within surreal and luminescent sceneries. By depicting unusual circumstances he can provoke the viewer and make them question what is happening in each painting, using their own life experiences to relate to the scenes in front of their eyes. The intensely beautiful animals speak to the human condition, representing the struggles and joys found in everyday life. Brangoccio employs a unique method in the creation of his paintings, using multiple layers of acrylic paint upon a canvas, then aggressively thumps and knocks the canvas around creating cracks and chips throughout the layers of paint. This addition and subtraction gives the painting texture and a crackled finish which adds to the sense of emotion and surreal imagery he has painted. Brangoccio spent his childhood examining and exploring objects to better understand their nature and this is evident in his mature paintings. He attended the University of Northern Colorado where he earned both his B.A. and M.A. and furthered the great technical skill that he is today known for in his art. Working from West Des Moines, Iowa for the past twenty-four years, Brangoccio has been part of numerous group and solo exhibitions nationally and his art can be found in both private and public collections throughout Iowa. Brangoccio explores the emotions of human experience by engaging the viewer to think about the unusually situated animals and objects and how they express those conditions that all humans can relate to.