Michael Crossett is a mixed media artist and designer living in Washington, DC. He received a BS in Advertising and Marketing at George Mason University in 1997 and from 2007 - 2010 he studied at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC focusing on printmaking, bookmaking and graphic design. 

He worked most recently as the Creative Director for Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL) in Washington, DC. There he led a team of designers to develop brands for large commercial real estate developments in the Mid-Atlantic. He also worked in marketing and design for Clements International, an international insurance company. His many roles in marketing and design have developed a unique perspective that Michael brings to all of his projects. 

His experience living and traveling abroad, has created a life-long fascination with urban life, different cultures and contemporary design. Michael creates vibrant, layered compositions using digital photography and screen printing. He is now beginning to experiment with 3D elements incorporating laser cut objects, concrete and metal in to his work. 

The son of a military family, Michael spent his childhood in Japan, Hawaii and host of US cities. He settled 20 years ago in Washington DC, where he lives and works today. 

"As a kid, we moved around a lot because my dad was in the Air Force. Nothing ever lasted very long. So I’m always looking for anchors. The things that will last. The things that have lasted. When I go up to Provincetown, I’m always taking pictures of old buoys and other weathered relics. Harpoons. Shudders with the paint peeling off. Piles of old ropes. Those are the things that are real for me because they’ve lasted. Endured. For me, that’s beauty.

My recent work has focused on the neighborhoods of DC. As DC continues to transform, I am drawn to contrast of historic and contemporary architecture and design, commercialism, and the energy that surrounds me. In a way, I am my own architect by creating new structures which juxtapose photography and found images with with relevant and most often commercial symbols and icons. They shouldn’t always go together but do—one of the reasons I love graffiti. If it wasn’t illegal, I’d be doing it all the time."