Artist In Residence, Founding Principal, Pollen Architecture & Design
Michael Young was trained as an artist with the primary focus of his practice being on geometric abstraction and design. Central to his work is a dialectic relationship between natural materials and objects as relating to architecture. His interest in applying the principles of this previous work and craft to the built environment lead him to become one of the founding principals of Pollen. He conceptualizes use of materials in our projects, bringing a high level of inventiveness and craft to the process. He develops aesthetically tuned construction assemblies and details using a hands-on approach, often working with a material that he has developed specifically for a project. He brings a particular graphic sensibility to working out elevations.
Prior to forming Pollen, Michael was an artist, and he continues to draw and paint. His work as an artist has been exhibited nationally and internationally in galleries and museums, both private and public sites. His work has been included in significant museum collections including the Hirschorn Museum of the Smithsonian, The High Museum in Atlanta, The Museum Of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Seibu Museum in Tokyo and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Michael taught art for many years, including eight years in the Graduate Painting program of the Rhode Island School of Design. Most recently, he co-taught a studio at the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture with Elizabeth Alford. He has also taught at Princeton University, Brandeis University and the Brearley School in New York City.
Michael received his M.F.A. from the Yale University School of Art, where he won the Alice B. Kimball Prize, and a B.F.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. He attended the Whitney Museum’s Independent Study Program and the Skowhegan School of Sculpture and Painting summer residency. He received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for his art.