monkeylanguage

Michael Marisi Ornstein is a visual performance artist.

He paints in oils, mainly with hand-mixed pigments, and uses canvas, found wood, unique papers, sheet metal and anything else that is around and looks appealing.

Michael moved to New York City after his first and only year in college and worked as an actor, performing professionally on a steady basis for over 25 years. He's worked extensively in television and film, and still does, but mainly, he developed new plays ("Angels in America", for example).

He has produced and directed several independent films. His 1996 film "Time Away" was among the very first Digital Video feature films ever made and the first DV feature broadcast on iFilm. His 2004 dual documentary project "The Rest of the World" was based on an interview he conducted with Howard Zinn and interviews collected in Winnipeg, Manitoba on U.S. foriegn policy. In addition to the films, Michael has also written and performed a large number of live projects.

Film and Television acting work includes Robert Altman's "Kansas City"; Hal Hartley's "Book of Life"; "Man of the Year" (1995); "Crossing Delancey"; "Let It Snow"; Seinfeld"; "Law and Order"; "Special Victim's Unit"; "Criminal Intent"; "New York Undercover"; "Third Watch"; "Homicide" (along with "Homicide: Second Shift" internet series). Currently, Michael has a recurring role on "Sons of Anarchy."

From a young age, he has painted daily and kept his paintings relatively to himself, exhibiting infrequently and selling his work privately through word of mouth. Due to this dynamic, his paintings are somewhat of a secret within an eclectic scope of collectors from Los Angeles to Paris. His images have been published in magazines, used as show posters, and have been published by the Jazz label, Smalls Records, as CD cover art for Chris Byars, Neal Miner, Frank Hewitt and Teddy Charles.

During the past few years, Michael has been exhibiting much more frequently, viewing his exhibitions in the same way he views live performance. For example, Michael's current project is based on a collection of original artsodes told visually through his oil paintings.

This unique mission-based project will launch in the fall and find it's venue somewhere between street theater and mobile technology.