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Michael Grothusen

  • Assistant Teaching Professor, Visual Arts

  • Sculpture

  • Object Making

  • Installation

  • Public Art

  • Kinetic Sculpture

  • Studio Research

Michael Grothusen

Biography

Michael Grothusen is a mixed media sculptor whose work is rooted in an investigative process and a tactile connection to material. It is diverse in terms of scale, scope, and content.

His studio practice consists of object making, temporary site-specific installations and permanent public commissions. Some works are deliberate conversation starters and some are designed to pre-empt written and spoken language in an attempt to focus on the present tense moment of looking at sculpture.

His works have been exhibited regionally and nationally including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia International Airport, and the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts. He has completed two permanent public commissions for the City of Philadelphia. One person exhibitions include Carnegie Melon University, Spaces in Cleveland, OH, Gallery 114 in Portland, OR, Gallery Joe, Drexel University, Bucks County Community College (with Buy Shaver), and Dickinson College.

Grants and fellowships include a Pew Fellowships in the Arts, the Pollock/Krasner Foundation and three Individual Artist’s Grants from the Pennsylvania State Council on the Arts. He received a BFA in sculpture from the University of Kansas and an MFA from Tyler School of Art.

Collected Works

A shield-shaped artwork with a textured, cream-colored surface mounted on a gray wall. The shield features horizontal grooves and a raised outline of an anatomical heart near the upper center, accented with golden-brown edges.
A shield-like sculpture with an irregular, organic form mounted on a gray wall. The piece is cream-colored with golden-brown accents along its edges and scattered marks across the surface. The top left side curves outward into a protruding shape resembling a severed arm.
A black shield-shaped sculpture mounted on a gray wall, featuring a recessed white silhouette of human lungs in the center. The lung shape has a textured surface, contrasting with the smooth black background.
A tall column wrapped in a blue metal grid structure stands in a gallery space with beige walls. The column has a decorative Ionic-style capital at the top with red and white accents. Surrounding the column are large, ornate tapestries with intricate patterns and figures, mounted on the walls.
Two pink sculpted busts are suspended in midair, each mounted on a wooden platform held by metal clamps and rods. The busts face opposite directions, creating a mirrored arrangement, and are displayed against a plain light-colored wall.
Two large, irregularly shaped black metal sheets lean against a white corner wall, with their lower edges extending onto the gray concrete floor. The forms resemble abstract silhouettes with jagged outlines, creating a sense of weight and distortion.
A large outdoor sculpture resembling an oversized silver funnel or horn lies diagonally on a grassy lawn. The wide end is elevated on metal supports, while the narrow end rests near a black iron fence. Behind the sculpture are trees, utility poles, and a building with a clock tower under a clear blue sky.
A torso-shaped sculpture made of stacked, rough-edged horizontal layers of gray material, resembling concrete or stone. The figure is headless and armless, mounted on a flat wooden base with four red caster wheels, placed on a light wood floor against a plain wall.
Smooth, shield-shaped sculpture with a matte white surface and a vertical black gradient stripe running down the center, mounted on a gray wall.