The work of Michael Cutlip takes us on a journey back and forth across planes of pigment and repetitive patterns. His improbable use of color feels both nostalgic and new at the same time. The quirky breaking up of the picture plane into several horizon lines suggests imagery that moves beyond the surface and back across like figures in an arcade shooting game. The paintings engage and surprise the viewer. It is no wonder that he has been included in gallery stables in New York and Chicago and was part of the New California Artist Series of Exhibitions at the Triton Museum.  Cutlip studied at Foothill College in Los Altos and also attended California State University in Hayward.

Cutlip is a master of improvisation and his work might be compared to great jazz players who operate in a loose structure, but are able to depart from there and "riff" on various patterns, drawing elements and collaged images. He travels within his form and resolves all the elements into a working composition.