Rising Stars: Meet Michelle Silver of New York

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Silver.

Hi Michelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m (Michelle Silver) a painter and my husband (Bradley Silver) is a tattoo artist. In 2019, after having our first child in Brooklyn, we moved to the Hudson Valley, NY to be closer to family and nature. I continued my painting practice in our home studio and Bradley commuted to Manhattan to tattoo. Then in 2022, after having our second child, we realized how much we needed Bradley to work closer to home and how deeply we wanted build something of our own. We had long talked about a joint business model: half contemporary art gallery and half tattoo studio, to combine our two passions and blur the lines between fine art and body art. Bradley tattoos in an avant-garde and abstract tattoo style, which often looks more like painting or collage than traditional tattoos, so this line always felt blurred in his practice. I had previously been involved in art community and collectives in Boston, Brooklyn and Beacon, and saw the potential of an artist-run space like what we were envisioning to support likeminded artists. We hoped our unique approach to the art gallery and tattoo shop structure would be appreciated in an artsy and open-minded town like Beacon.

Despite the chaos of having young kids and sleepless nights, we put our dream into action and opened our brick and mortar on Main Street in Beacon, NY in April 2023. It’s been a learning experience, filled with all the ups and downs of small business ownership, but we’ve grown considerably and are so proud of what we’ve built. We now host a roster of 7 tattoo artists and visiting guest tattooers and present a dynamic exhibition program featuring local, national and international contemporary artists.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t know if any small business has experienced a totally smooth road! Our biggest struggles revolve around resources – specifically time and money. We are both working artists and parents, and neither of us comes from a place of financial means; we put everything we had into the business. We’ve been extremely lucky in building a roster of artists who are incredibly talented, trustworthy and reliable, so that has helped considerably. We just need about 8 more arms, a nanny, and the ability to stop sleeping : )

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My painting practice centers around emotional landscapes comprised of bold gestural mark-making. Sometimes figurative, often abstract, these loose, intuitive worlds exist in the space between the conscious and subconscious. I use the intimacy and vulnerability of my motherhood experiences as a platform to discuss themes of mental health, desire, and fear. My work is heavily influenced by my embodied practice: I dance, jump, and move throughout the studio while working – it’s a freeing and cathartic experience that I believe is felt throughout the visceral, vibrating layers of paint. I’m proud of all of my shows, press, recognition and artistic accomplishments, but I think I’m most proud of the honesty in my work. It feels very true to who I am – the good and the bad – which I hope resonates with others.

My curatorial work as the Gallery Director of Distortion Society is focused on contemporary art that is unique, honest and exhibits a skillful use of media. We show emerging and mid-career artists of all backgrounds, working to uplift underrepresented voices and give folks the platform to both experiment and push boundaries. Although our space is small, we’ve shown a wide range of work from traditional media like painting and sculpture, to more experimental media like kinetic, biodegradable installation art, intricately embroidered figurative textiles, and an 8-foot neon work!

Bradley’s tattoo practice is also very true to his own style and process: he works in a mix of avant-garde, abstract and ornamental blackwork. He mixes realism, pop art, graffiti, painterly textures and patterns into unique compositions that don’t conform to any one style. There aren’t many folks in the United States who tattoo like him, so he is sought out for his style and skill. He won “Most Unusual” at the prominent Villain Arts Tattoo Convention in Philadelphia in 2020 and “Best of Day” at the Hudson Valley Tattoo convention in 2026.

Any big plans?
Our plans right now are to keep doing what we love: making art and sharing art with the world!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.distortionsociety.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/distortion_society/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/distortionsocietybeacon

Image Credits
All photos courtesy of Distortion Society. Included artists: Michelle Silver, Bradley Silver, Josué Morales Urbina, Gemma Bailey, Laura Bochet, Emma Jackson, Colleen Rae Smiley, Gracelee Lawrence, Jared Freschman, Delvin Lugo, Amber Mustafic.