Michael Malpass: Renaissance Man is a collection of works created by artist Michael Malpass, currently on display in the DiMattio Gallery located in Rechnitz Hall.
In the mid 1960s, Malpass was enrolled at Pratt Institute working towards his MFA when he was inducted into the U.S. Army. Here, he had limited artistic supplies, working with the military materials around him. Malpass stretched army tents into canvases, making oil paintings of famous artists like Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix, and John Lennon.
After his time serving in Berlin, Malpass had a solo exhibition in The Betty Parsons Gallery in Manhattan, launching his career into the art world. Malpass’ career gained momentum in the 1980s and Malpass was using discarded scrap metals, welding them into spherical shapes. Malpass had a fascination with the sphere shape because it maximized volume for the least amount of surface area.
Malpass used traditional blacksmithing techniques in order to manipulate steel, bronze, copper, and brass into the spherical shapes for which his work is best known for. He took these discarded scrap metals, giving them new life and meaning. His work can be seen as juxtaposing the blue collar nature of the materials with the high regard his art has received, Malpass ended up with highly praised and valued art that would sell for tens of thousands of dollars today.
Nicolaus Burr, Monmouth University’s social media coordinator, said, “What I love about Malpass’s work is how he takes things that might be considered junk and turns them into something amazing. A lot of artists repurpose materials, but what makes him stand out is how he does it with metal. There’s just something so cool about shaping raw metal into intricate, three-dimensional pieces. And on top of that, his oil paintings are just as impressive.”
The second floor of the gallery features images of Malpass working on the sculptures, including images of him welding the spherical structures, allowing the viewers to peer down at the bottom floor of the exhibit, where most of the sculptures are located, with a better visual understanding of its creation.
The exhibit is welcoming visitors from the university and local communities. Allie Corsey, a junior psychology student, has been working at the gallery since the fall of 2022. She said, “Not a lot of students are coming in themselves but there are a lot of art classes coming in with their professors. I believe a photography class was recently in here as well.”
Corsey’s favorite works showcased in the gallery are Malpass’ oil paintings but she appreciates the entire collection, “I think it is really cool, all of the sculptures have really stood out to me, especially because it is not only on the walls,” she continued, “It feels as if the exhibit is interactive even though it’s not. There are many different mediums to look at, making it feel that way.”
The exhibit is free and open to the public; Michael Malpass: Renaissance Man will be on display until Mar. 23.
