Michael Scoggins

(American, born 1973)

Michael Scoggins is an American artist best known for his works on notebook paper which feign the attitude of a petulant adolescent doodling. Similarly to the works of David Shrigley, the artist utilizes cynicism, irony, and novice drawing. Scoggins came to this style by revisiting his own childhood sketchbooks and realizing how disarmingly truthful they were in comparison to the paintings he had been making as an adult. His alter-ego, a personality reminiscent of the Dadaist tradition, Michael S., presents the artist as an uninhibited child. “I want to present my work with sincerity, and it is truly a reflection of who I am,” he mused. “If that means showing vulnerability or rage, then so be it. I’m interested in talking about human nature and realism.” Many of his works are either on or consist of crumpled pieces of paper, and are sometimes presented as sculpture. Born in 1973 in Washington D.C., he attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and Painting in 2003 and received his MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2006. Today, his works are in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, CA, and the Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah, GA, among others. Scoggins lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.