Artist Michael Rubinowitz shows the layers of Sea Cliff

If you look at my artwork, you’ll see that a lot of it is people; a lot of it is my inspirations and people that have meant a lot to me over the years.”

Michael Rubinowitz, artist, Manhattan

The artwork of collagist and creator Michael Rubinowitz has been on display at the Sea Cliff Arts Council since the beginning of July. Rubinowitz lives in Manhattan’s Chelsea but his art studio is in Sea Cliff. His pieces featured in the exhibition were all made in the village.

Rubinowitz has been making art since he was five years old, and distinctly remembered his first artistic experience. He attended a Montessori school in Manhattan, which placed an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing independence among children.

“The first thing they did in that school was put a paintbrush in my hand, give me some magazines and scissors and glue and say, ‘Go do some stuff’” Rubinowitz said. “That idea of being creative and doing what I want to do, that stuck with me forever.”

While Rubinowitz is a lawyer by trade, he says that over the last few years his art has become more and more important to his life. For years making art was just a hobby, until “the hobby became stronger and stronger. Until very recently I said, ‘You know what? The art’s the stuff that makes me happy and that’s what I’m going to focus on.’”

Rubinowitz’s medium is collage, which is an art form where materials such as paper, photographs, fabric or other objects are arranged and stuck together onto a supporting surface to create an image. While Rubinowitz has experimented with other mediums in the past, such as acrylic paints or ink, he always come back to collage.

Rubinowitz’s artwork, which has been featured at venues such as Whitney Museum of American Art, typically focuses on people. Rubinowitz said that he finds people to be the most interesting aspect of his art due in part to the way humans relate and react to each other.

“I definitely am of the belief that anybody can take a picture of the Grand Canyon, but it’s the family at the Grand Canyon that’s going to mean something to people,” Rubinowitz said. “If you look at my artwork, you’ll see that a lot of it is people; a lot of it is my inspirations and people that have meant a lot to me over the years.”

Rubinowitz’s art display in Sea Cliff is part of the Arts Council’s bi-monthly art shows, which highlight the work and talents of local artists. Kat DiResta, the chairperson of the Arts Council, said it was the unique style of Rubinowitz’s art that initially made the Arts Council reach out to him.

“What’s cool about his work is the more you look at it, the more you see,” DiResta said. “So his work is really interesting and unique and we were really happy to show it at the Arts Council.”