Visionary artist, Max Standley, was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1942. He is an artist to the core of his being: for almost forty years his prodigious talent has allowed him to live and breathe art. He lives reclusively with his wife on a secluded 40 acres, deep in the forests of Arkansas. This lifestyle gives him the freedom to immerse himself in his oil painting, engraving, poetry and drawing--the result is intimate works that vibrate with intensity. Standley's work begins in the realm of realism, and develops with hints of biomorphic and magical imagery, showing a depth that continues to surprise, delight and move us.

"My work is a part I play in nature's drama and is a form of self development," says the artist. "Archetypical symbolism is an integral part of the process." Standley feels that the symbols speak to others on a conscious and unconscious level, allowing them to connect to his very unique vision of the world.

"Like gazing into a tidal pool, the longer you look, the more you see..." Bonnie Wells, Amherst Bulletin