Michael Winkler


Michael Winkler is a visual/conceptual artist. His work is based on a process which generates abstract visualizations of the alphabetic code underlying the spelling of words. His early artists' books: “Regular Words”, “Word Art / Art Words, “An Artist's Statement”, “Equivalents”, and “Extreme Measures” have become classics of the genre—included in major museum collections, such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York., as well as being in the special collections of prominent university libraries.
In addition, his work has appeared in publications ranging from the book, “Imagining Language” to the newsletter of a coalition of researchers studying the origins of language: The Pleistocene Coalition.
His ongoing project has also produced drawings, paintings, and installations. He has exhibited in major museums including: Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston; Spencer Museum, University of Kansas; and Kassel Art Museum, Germany. A 22 year retrospective was presented at the University of Pennsylvania’s Rosenwald Gallery in 2004. He has received several major commissions including a project for Daimler Mercedes-Benz in 2015.
His awards include: a Visual Artists Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts; A Special Projects Fellowship from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts; a LINE II Association Book Award; and a Special Members Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors, & Publishers.