mike gough

Mike Gough’s art practice reflects his ongoing interest in memory-based art making which first began as an act of preservation. Deeply concerned with the volatile and elusive quality of memory his painterly descriptions of his upbringing in Newfoundland & Labrador become a blend of reality and idealism The reoccurrence of symbols and motifs in his paintings create an archetypal visual language that reflect personal and universal narratives. His works are constructed with formal lines and flat color blocking that contrasts the depths of his images and offer moments of solitude, opportunities for reflection and possibilities to escape.

Influenced by the Newfoundland landscape and cultural iconography Gough’s paintings provide enough vacancy for the viewer to cast and upon. Whether through image or title they remind us that nothing stays the same but there is beauty in change. Like our relationships with the environment and one another - the water, the wind, the sky, and seasons all shift and morph into something different, something new. Gough is interested in these transitions and in the power of landscape painting.

“Growing up I took for granted my surroundings and misunderstood my relationship with the landscape. It took distance for me to realize how it shaped me, the metaphors that exist within it and the wonderment and memories that it holds. For those reasons I’ve become invested in landscape painting as a way of reflecting the impressions Newfoundland has made on my mind and my heart. “

About

Gough was born in Corner Brook Newfoundland. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in 2007 and a Masters of Fine Arts from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 2010.

He has exhibited both nationally and internationally in over 40 exhibitions and has been the recipient of numerous project grants, awards, and residences. His work is widely collected and can be found in corporate and public collections in the UK and Canada including The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery, Humber College, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, City of St. Johns’ Municipal Collection and Global Affairs Canada. His work is part of numerous private collections in Canada, the USA, the UK, Germany, and the United Arab Emirates Royal Family Collection.