Form in Art, Art in Form

Radios from bygone days have been seen in old ads, movies, and photos. It's not often radios themselves are the subject of an artist's painting.

These artists have been gracious to share their vision with us. We are happy vintage radios are recognized as objects of art.

In their own words and no particular listing order:

Michael Zambelli:

Michael Zambelli has been drawing for most of his life. His lifelong fascination with drawing automobiles led to a career in Industrial Design earning a BSID degree from the University of Bridgeport. He has hundreds of patents for consumer product designs ranging from telephones to home furnishings. Throughout his 40 plus years of designing products, he always maintained his interest in the fine arts visiting museums and galleries throughout the US, Europe and the former Soviet Union. Additionally, Michael is a collector of radios, clocks and cameras that showcase early industrial design and scale models of automobiles from the 1950’s and 1960’s. He maintains over two thousand items in his collection. More recently, some of his collectables have been the subject matter of his paintings. In 2011, at the encouragement of his wife, Grace, who is also an artist, he began painting in acrylics for thefirst time in his life. Although he has attended workshops with well-known local artists, he is primarily self-taught.

Michael has exhibited at numerous institutions throughout the state including juried shows at the Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster, the Visual Arts Center in Summit, Nashville North Studios in Linwood, Ocean City Arts Center, Holtzman Gallery in Margate, Great Bay Art Gallery in Somers Point and the Arts on Asbury Gallery in Ocean City. He has won numerous awards and is an associate artist at the Noyes Museum and the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts. He is also a member of the Ocean City Fine Arts League.

Michael’s paintings focus on artifacts of the 20th century including interesting products (radios, clocks and cameras from his collection), automobiles, toys and structures in urban landscapes. His choice of subject matter is the result of his background in design. The drawing skills that he developed as a designer provided him with the ability to capture his subject matter accurately. Most of his paintings emphasize the play of light and shadow that not only help define the object’s form, but also convey a bygone era and often a sad sense of abandon. Although his paintings are representational, they are executed in a painterly style that adds mystery and imagination to the viewing experience.

Artist Contact Info:

Michael Zambelli – Artist/Designer
email: mzambelli53@gmail.com
website: www.graceandmichaelzambelliart.com
phone: 973 715-2900

Added in Oct , 2021. More paintings from this artist:

Tyler Cartier:

Retro Radio Farm showcases beauty and style in 3 dimensions. My goal is to capture it in two. That way, you can augment your collection with a classic radio for the office, media room or an accent wall.

My acrylic paintings on canvas feature vivid, true colors and authentic displays. In each painting, I try to capture that “spark” of feeling like I could turn a button, hear the crackle of static and pick up a favorite DJ or a daytime doubleheader.

My background is in marketing. For the past 20 years, I have created and written the majority of brand communications for the Space Needle in Seattle. Other clients have included Chihuly Garden + Glass, Starbucks, and Nordstrom. As I wind down my business, I’m devoting my creative energy to painting radios, vintage trailers, and classic hotels and theaters.

I hope you enjoy my creations and would love to hear if you are interested in them or have a story to share.

Limited Editions of 10 each, signed on canvas:

Transistor radios – 4” x 6” apiece ($55 each or 2 for $100)

Blue & Red Radios – 5” x 7” apiece ($70 each or 2 for $125)

Green Motorola – 5” x 7” ($70)

Artist Contact Info:

Tyler Cartier (tyler@strikeplate.com)

The artists featured in this article are not affiliated with Retro Radio Farm, LLC, its employees, partners, or affiliates. The views, information, or opinions expressed by these artists do not necessarily represent those of Retro Radio Farm, its employees, partners or affilitates