Label Type
DidacticLabel
Michael Knapp (b. 1956)
Punched Out, 2023
acrylic on canvas
36 x 48 in.
Gift of the artist, 2024.1
Painted in black and white, three male figures punch archaic time clocks while two robots stand in line among them in full color. The shiny red and blue robots juxtaposed with the men in workwear reminiscent of the mid 20th century, playfully suggest the morphing of man into machine over time. Through his studio practice, Knapp challenges the notion that art is just something pretty to look at, aiming to paint a social or visual statement and finding it acceptable when the viewer cultivates a story of their own.
This work of art is a part of the HCC Permanent Art Collection. The HCC Art Galleries, through their Campus Loan Outreach Program, seek to share original art by collecting a diversity of works for the education and enjoyment of the HCC Community.