Michael Cutlip was recently hailed by one critic as “a visual Beat poet for the new millennium”. Indeed his imagery often seems to spring from a world of free association, a playful world where elephants carry parasols, bears balance on beach balls, and astronauts share space with race horses. The viewer is often left to interpret the seemingly random imagery on his own. Born and raised in California, Cutlip draws inspiration for is whimsical works from an eclectic list of sources: urban graffiti, papers tossed on the street and drawings done by his own children. When pressed, he will cite his primary artistic influence as Robert Rauschenberg. Cutlip studied at Foothill College and attended California State University in Hayward. Spontaneity is his trademark, and so he “likes anything that dries quickly. I can’t even wait for acrylic to dry. To work faster, I use a hair dryer.” In his “paint box” you will find stamps, pens, ink, pencils and even house paint. Cutlip has been a part of numerous solo and group shows. Public collections include: Hopelab, Redwood City, CA; Bloomingdale’s; Benefit Cosmetics, San Francisco; and the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Palo Alto, CA. His work has been featured in Southwest Art magazine (Artist to Watch, Feb ‘09) and Traditional Home magazine, as well as New American Paintings, Juried Competition (West Coast Edition, 2005).