The Robert Steele Gallery is pleased to announce Wild-Ass Paintings, our very first

solo exhibition with Michelle Dennis. Her large anthropomorphic donkeys are thickly

sculpted onto the surface using mostly her hands to paint them. The monumental size

of her paintings makes the viewer smaller than, or the same size as the subject and

therefore able to identify with it. Even though the character is not human, its feelings

are intrinsically human. Michelle paints about social dynamics through the form of a

donkey, drawing upon her own knowledge having grown up with them. They are the

main characters in the paintings and therefore replace the human form, each donkey

telling it's own story.

"As I am painting only the subject and the expression are important to me. I do not try

to render the donkey perfectly, but rather reveal his imperfections, and mine as an

artist. Within these imperfections the individual personality of the animal is found."

-Michelle Dennis

Michelle Dennis was born in Binghamton, NY and now lives and works in New York

City. She attended Graduate School at Boston University with Professor John Walker

and received her Undergraduate degree from Ringling School of Art and Design in

Florida with Professor Leslie Lerner.