Jump to an artist site location
07 | Atom II
Sculpture | Michael Magnotta | East Lansing, MI
About This Installation
As a sculptor my works are inspired by my life experiences and the joys of living - pieces based on music, dance, nature, love, travel and more. I have also created a number of works that reflect the cosmos: planets, stars, moons. In this piece I look again to my series based on the universe to the smallest matter therein, the atom. Its elemental beauty like that of celestial bodies, makes for a stunning and introspective sculpture.
While you walk around the sculpture please look up toward the heavens and allow your gaze to meet your reflection - you are a part of nature, and the ever-expanding universe made up of these tiny building blocks. As I’ve traveled our planet with it’s endangered beauty - Japan, Africa, Europe, Bali, South America - our commonality as seeking, kind and curious human beings is what resonates most.
My hope is that you reflect upon this piece and see yourself and others as the nexus of all life.
Artist Bio
As a sculptor, privileged to have my work in the public sphere, I feel a responsibility to engage the viewer and provide a positive visual presence to the community. My journey in the arts began some 35 years ago in photography. Architectural studies broadened my artistic horizons as I learned how the integration of materials in a thoughtful design impacts the environment. In a transition from architecture to sculpture, I found expression in creating art from industrial remnants and cast-offs. With inspiration from the masters of the genre, my work arises from my experiences and things I love - jazz, space, nature, mankind, and beauty in all its manifestations. The Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, beauty in the imperfect, and the natural time-worn patina, also resonates in my art. My sculptures typically begin with a trip to the metal yard. There, among the industrial detritus, I gather my palette, much as a painter chooses their paints. From the shapes and textures I rescue, a conversation takes place - a visual conversation - that results in the three-dimensional work comprising my sculptures.
Find On The Trail - Site 07
Buchard Park - South
This spacious, grassy area houses the Brenke Fish Ladder in the historic Old Town Neighborhood.
This location is made possible in part by generous contributions from:
Laurie Lonsdorf
ArtPath is generously supported by our title sponsors The Rathbun Insurance and Auto-Owners Insurance. With additional support by:









