Philosophy
"...A mixture of social commentary and a pie in the face" -from Self Portrait #1 2006.
LAZAR ART is first and foremost a celebration of the power of iconography and color. Whether working with collage or painting, LAZAR ART evokes nostalgia and an ease with which the viewer can relate to the context of the piece, whether it be Patriotism, Hollywood, Disney icons, romance, and classic cross-cultural images like the heart, star or simple daisy. Cartoon illustration-like subjects appear in many of the pieces, providing gentle, comforting and instantly recognizable protagonists that journey with the viewer through various LAZAR ART environments. These painted worlds of electric pinks and sky blues, when married with recognizable icons from American pop culture and beyond, instantly create something new, something dazzling, something shocking--sometimes sad and eerie--but always fresh. The work stems from a deep-seated passion for pop music, pop culture, and the icons that surround and inundate the entertainment industry, additionally celebrating the beauty and impact of these images on our day-to-day lives.
Style
collage, acrylic, spray paint and paint pens.
Technique
I work predominantly using scissors, glue, spray paint and acrylic paints or paintpens, often drawing images on museum paper, painting them and finally cutting them out. I prepare a canvas using spraypaint, collage or broad strokes of acrylic and finally adhere the cut-out subjects of the pieces to these newly made environments. When I'm not working on canvas, I work on museum paper or wood; fiberboard, pine wood, or pieces of weathered, aged and distressed wood that speak to me from the streets of Manhattan.
Background
Born in the historic town of Concord, Massachusetts on March 30th 1984, Michael Tobias Lazar grew up constantly immersed in the arts, studying piano since the second grade, performing all throughout childhood and early adulthood, and drawing and painting Disney characters in sketchbooks and on walls he was eight. Although the collection you see today didn't come into conception until the summer after his first year of college, he has been artistically involved throughout. He attended New York University's Tisch School Of the Arts from 2002-2006, where he studied musical theatre and Shakespeare, and went on to tour with such productions as the original cast of Seussical the Musical and You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. LAZAR ART has since shown all over New York. Examples include a solo four-month exhibition in the same season lineup as Lady Gaga at THE OUT NYC in the heart of Manhattan's Times Square and at TriBeca's Space on White as solo visual artist for Exhibit Equality, a fundraiser for the subsequent 2009 March on Washington, sponsored by the original company of Broadway's acclaimed revival of HAIR. Other New York City shows include exhibitions at Think Coffee, the XES Lounge and the Gramstand.
