Like fairytales left outside to rust in the elements, Max Miceli's paintings take on the patina of urban decay and apply them to a hybrid of Pop and Folk art that speaks to the human condition with humor and pathos.

The work puts as much emphasis on personal allegory as it does aesthetic appeal. The themes and imagery beckon the viewer to decipher a candy-coated mythology-an exercise of sifting through our relationship to nature and with each other. Enormous animals commingle with industry, trees are over pruned, and people are depicted as archetypes within sugary fields of color weathered with textural scrapes and markings. What emerges is a menagerie of vignettes that explore the psyche by juxtaposing personal symbols with familiar iconography.

In addition to fine art, Miceli has worked as an illustrator, commercial designer, art director and visual development artist for various studios and publications, including Business Week Magazine, The New York Times, Disney, Klasky Csupo, Cartoon Network, Trilogy Entertainment/MGM, among others.

Max Miceliwas born in Dayton, Ohio and grew up in Redlands, California. He received his BFA from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and has participated in numerous exhibitions across the country. He lives in the historic West Adams district of Los Angeles with his wife Andrea, their two dogs Myrtle and Oscar, and a cat named Cat.