An Introduction to Michael Garman & His Sculptures
Born in 1938, Michael Garman grew up in central Texas where he developed his spirit of hard work and determination.
From Texas, Michael traveled to Los Angeles where he briefly apprenticed in photography. From there Michael continued his travels into Mexico, Central, and South America. While traveling Michael met and lived among the working people, capturing their lives in sculpture, on film, and in his heart. When Michael returned to the United States, he would continue his vagabond lifestyle in Dallas, San Francisco, and Philadelphia before settling in the Pikes Peak region in 1971.
Michael had a deep-rooted belief that art should be available to everyone. “Art for the People,” he called it. Because of this ideal, in the early 1960’s Michael worked not just to create these expressive characters, but also to perfect a method of reproduction that made his artwork affordable and available to everyday people. Michael makes the original out of microcrystalline wax-based clay. From there a latex rubber mold is made and the pieces are cast out of either Hydrocal, a mixture of white gypsum and cement, or a special compound blend of polyurethane casting resin and marble dust.
Michael’s sculptures are not portraits but are composite sketches of bits and pieces of humanity that Michael encountered along his travels. The same is true of his large-scale Cityscapes and Street Scenes. The bay window or sidewalks in these scenes may have come from San Francisco, Philadelphia, or any one of a hundred places that Michael lived and traveled through. The primary material used in making the walls is polyurethane foam, a cellular plastic known for its durability and lightness. This factor enables the scenes to be easily put up for display as well as taken down to transport. Most of the characters are made of Hydrocal while the “props”, like Coke bottles, beer cans and ashtrays, are made with polyurethane casting resin and marble dust.
In 1974 he began work on his most ambitious project, Magic Town. Magic Town is a sculptural theater exhibit, a 1/6th scale miniature city block that people can walk through and experience three-dimensionally. It includes dozens of buildings, brownstone apartments, bars, pool halls, cinemas and hotels. Along with hundreds of sculpted characters. Each piece was inspired by his drifter travels and his experiences as a ne’er-do-well in cities like Dallas, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. First displayed in the mid-1980’s, Magic Town is Michael’s unfinished masterpiece. “I’ll continue working on it for the rest of my life” Michael declared, and he would for next 35 years.
Michael’s sculptures, cityscapes, and street scenes are collected and displayed by businesses and individuals throughout the world. Included among these are former Presidents Bush and Reagan, Betty Ford, Rosalyn Carter, James Caan, Willie Nelson, Burt Reynolds, John Elway, and Colin Powell. His figures are frequently given as a piece of “Americana” to foreign dignitaries and heads of state.
Experience the magic of Michael Garman. We’re sure you’ll want to make it a part of your world!
The Passing of an Icon
Sculptor, businessman, and icon of the Pikes Peak region, Michael Garman passed late on the evening of October 8th, 2021, in Colorado Springs
Michael Charles Garman was born May 15, 1938, in Fort Worth, Texas. He was the youngest son of Harry and Loma Garman.
For more than 50 years, Michael Garman called the Pikes Peak region home. He opened his first Colorado-based studio in Manitou Springs in 1971. He later moved his production studio and gallery to its current home, The Garman building, at the corner of Colorado Avenue and Colbrunn Court and in the heart of Old Colorado City. The Garman building is also home to Michael’s seminal work, Magic Town, a 1/6th scale miniature city and sculptural autobiography. Throughout his long career, Michael sculpted thousands of pieces capturing the heroic American spirit.
Michael had battled illness and deteriorating heath for many years. Michael had suffered a severe stroke on the 14th of September, 2021. The lasting effects of which he was having difficulty recovering from. On the evening of October 8th Michael decided to end his life as he had lived it, on his terms. Michael was 83 years old.
Michael is survived by his three children and five grandchildren.
Before his death, Michael Garman admitted to living a bold life with no regrets: “Along the way, I’ve made some beautiful mistakes, but I learned from each one of them. I’ve never been frightened of life or, for that matter, of death. That’s probably why I’ve been able to live – to really live. And it has been a hell of a ride.”