ABOUT

Michele Silvetti-Schmitt was raised in Chicago by parents who emigrated from Canada and Argentina.  Making art has always given her roots and a sense of belonging.  In her 20's she became a professional architect and dedicated herself to that career.  Along the way she spent a decade in Germany practicing architecture and establishing her family before returning to the U.S.  Making architecture requires the efforts of an extensive, multi-disciplinary team, and ultimately the idea is far removed from the expression.  For Michele, making art is invigorating; the ideas move straight from her mind and heart through her hands and the energy is tangible.

ARTIST STATEMENT

As an artist of the moment, I thrive on daily interaction with the work, acting on ideas as they occur. Repeating the action again and again is the through line of the work. 

The media I use is whatever it takes to express the idea: from 2D materials such as watercolor, charcoal, and oil paint, to sculptural materials such as clay, wood, metals, and fiber; to found objects, some man-made, but mostly nature bits that I’ve collected…and then there is the ephemeral - wind, sunlight, and snow…

The memory and mark of my hand are integral to each piece as I assemble the accumulated elements. In each artwork, gestural marks, fingerprints and evidence of the squeeze and pressure of my hands can be found.  The work comes together over time by exploring the arrangement in space and interaction with the environment, essentially finding a form that supports its presence in place.