Michael Leavitt

PUBLICATION- NY, HK, AUS Magazines, TV show, CBC interview; prints

Mike — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:11:22 +0000

The CBC (Canadian public radio) interviewed me on their “Definitely Not The Opera” show (a “This American Life” equivalent), which is also syndicated throughout NPR local affiliates. For this particular episode, entitled “What do your shoes say about you?”, they wanted to asked about my cardboard shoe project. My bit comes on in the last quarter of the show and runs for about 10 minutes.Follow this link to listen directly- APRIL 2011 CBC M.Leavitt Interview. Or if that doesn’t work, download the “What do your shoes say about you?” podcast here or here

An interview with a Mexican site with a great editorial write-up and gallery- atrocidades.net/interview/2011/Michael_Leavitt

FINALLY: The Art Army fits flat on your wall. This is the first wide-ranging photographic survey of The Art Army action figures, and it’s a doozy. This immaculate full size wall-hanging is printed on heavy-duty archival bond paper with a 1-inch bleed for easy framing. The image depicts the hand-picked ‘Top 50′ figures dating back to 2002, replete with vital statistics on each piece. There has not been a more comprehensive study of The Art Army project. The purchase price also includes shipping costs of this unframed 24 x 36 in. poster roll. Each of the 25 editions are hand-signed and numbered by the artist. Click the image link below to purchase.

The 2 ‘prints’ below are patterns I generated from scratch, from which I’ve build my cardboard Chuck Taylor and Air Jordan IV. This is everything needed to complete these two iconic shoes, available as an actual-size cardboard print. The exact pattern is printed on natural brown cardboard so the print itself can be cut and assembled into an actual shoe. I’ve only got a few left available to sell! Click the image links below for the respective purchase forms.

Considering extenuating circumstances, it may also be possible to receive a free full-size download of this template to construct the cardboard shoe for free. Please send special requests with the message form at the bottom of this page.

Comcast’s G4TV has a show called none other than ‘Attack of the Show’. My work’s featured in the November 18, 2010 episode “Cardboard Sneakers, Reebok Prince Pumps & More”.

SCULPTURE- SuperBowl XLVI ‘Meatball’; 3ft Wood Figure; new production editions

Mike — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:50:54 +0000

Size: 5″ x 5″ x 5″
Materials: official NFL regulation SuperBowl XLVI edition football, polymer clay & acrylic paint

Size: 36″ x 36″ x 18″
Materials: hand-carved cedar, enamel finish, steel & mixed media joints
Stop-motion video, more descriptions, and many more detail pictures by clicking image link below…

Size: 14″ x 7″ x 5″
Materials: porcelain

This is an incredibly limited edition, hand-cast run of less than 50 total. It’s available to purchase from Far4, produced by their amazing Klimenkoff Moscow studio technicians. The opening in the gun’s tip houses a single flower.

Size: 5″ x 5″ x 5″
Materials: machine-printed ceramics, hand-drawn ink illustration

Size: 12″ x 12″ x 0.5″
Materials: machine-printed ceramics, hand-drawn ink illustration

PAINTINGS/DRAWINGS- skate decks, paint-by-#’s, toilet seats, sketches, stickers

Mike — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 21:47:36 +0000

Size: 56″ x 19″
Materials: found vintage paint-by-numbers on chipboard, altered with acrylic and prismacolor markers

Size: each 28″ x 7″
Materials: original illustration printed on wood skate deck
Two in a series of 4 skate decks currently in production with Broken Skateboards out of The Netherlands. Each is an original illustration based on the concept of non-phallic monuments around the world. All 4 decks are available to purchase HERE.

Size: each 15″ x 20″ x 2″
Materials: acrylic hand-painted on fully functional new toilet seats

Size: 2.5″ x 3.5″ each
Materials: Prismacolor marker on cardstock trading cards
These are many of my recent Sketch Cards officially included as random inserts in The Art Hustle Series 2 trading card set. Read more details by clicking the image link…

Size: 4″ x 3″
Materials: vinyl sticker print of original ink illustration

CUSTOM WORK- DIY ticket project, outdoor public work, custom figures

Mike — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:21:27 +0000

Size: 6 in. x 2 in. x 0.5 in. (assembled)
Materials: Papercraft.

Original papercraft design commissioned by Bookr Tickets, designed as an interactive project for Seattle’s Decibel Festival, to replace the standard print-your-own-ticket model with a more audience-participation model of ticketing an event. Each ticket buyer had the option of printing this DIY papercraft schematic to follow the instructions and fold into a 3-D turntable, replete with bar code and all necessary event info.

Size: 7 feet tall
Materials: Permanent outdoor statue to be installed in heart of Bavarian-themed city’s downtown core.
Authentic Bavarian nutcracker debuting as new town mascot, commission by The City of Leavenworth, WA. Currently in design phase, 18-inch tall wood & enamel maquette pictured here. More info and design sketches via clicking the image link.

NEW CUSTOM, PERSONALIZED CAKE TOPPERS below, each with separate non-posable figures. Some “cake topper” commissions are not of a bride & groom at all, just plain loved ones. Each built with polymer clay and internal steel wire armatures. More details on each particular figure by clicking the picture link.

Jill and Ed- 6″ x 5″ x 2″, 5 moving body parts per figure

Bert and Ernie- 4″ x 2″ x 1″

Jeremy Brautman & Greta- 5″ x 3″ x 2.5″

Don & Jolene- 5″ x 3″ x 2″

Size: 8″ x 2.5″ x 1″
Materials: 20 posable pieces in polymer clay, internal styrofoam armatures, steel wire
Despite all appearances, this guy’s name is NOT “TED”, nor is he necessarily a photographer by trade. This is Chris Anderson, founder & curator of the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference. This piece was designed to travel around the world as part of a photographic tour. Kind of a post-modern garden gnome project, with photos of the figure as the “photographer” himself. the conference website- TED.com

ACTION FIGURES- Jeremy Lin, Stephen King, James Turrell, Tom Sachs

Mike — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 13:09:00 +0000

Size: 9inches tall
Articulating parts: 9, with 3 removable accessories
Materials: poylmer clay, acrylic paint

Size: 6inches tall
Articulating parts: 13
Materials: polymer clay, internal hand-carved styrofoam
The latest custom commission was from a client who loves Stephen King. It was an honor and pleasure to acquiesce to such a request. Along with the obvious allusion to his RedSox/baseball personal obsession, there’s other references to 5 of King’s stories, books and movies. I’ll send a pack of stickers to anyone who can guess all 5- use the message form at the bottom of this page.

Size: 11inches tall
Articulating parts: 11, with back-lit Roden Crater scene and removable hat and golden hollow head.
Materials: poylmer clay, hand-carved styrofoam

Size: 11inches tall
Articulating parts: 11, with removable ‘gun’
Materials: poylmer clay, hand-carved styrofoam, paper, plastic and other mixed media