Artspace Warehouse is delighted to announce the upcoming exhibition, The World Is More Than You Can See, a series of new works by esteemed Canadian artist Mike Gough. Born and raised in the breathtaking landscapes of Newfoundland and Labrador, Gough’s artistic journey has been profoundly shaped by the island’s rich cultural heritage and awe-inspiring environment. This exhibition takes viewers on a captivating voyage through Gough’s artistic vision, exploring the interconnectedness between the permanence of our surrounding landscapes and the fleeting nature of human presence. Through his evocative paintings, Gough intertwines personal narratives with universal themes, inviting viewers to connect with their own memories and experiences. The exhibition is a heartfelt expression of the artist’s love for his homeland and the cherished memories he has woven into his striking works of art.
To gain insight into Gough’s practice it’s important to know he was born and raised in Newfoundland & Labrador, an island resting in the Atlantic Ocean and the most easterly point in North America. The province boasts stunning coastlines, vast lush mountain terrain and a primal landscape deeply rooted in history. His upbringing has greatly influenced the kind of painting he makes and continues to offer inspiration as he embraces the majesty in his surroundings and the uniqueness in its cultural identity.
Gough is interested in the permanence and endurance of our environment and, in contrast, he thinks of the transient and fragile nature of our presence. The World Is More Than You Can See brings together landscape and personal narratives that carry universal underlying themes. These paintings are reflections of his environment and a blend of reality and idealism. While they are influenced by the provincial landscape and cultural iconography of the province it is essential that they present opportunities for an audience to connect and be reminded of their own experiences. This exhibition thinks about painting and the landscape as something to be remembered, protected, and shared and is an expression of Gough’s love for his home, Newfoundland & Labrador, and the memories he has made there.
“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 & Labrador has made on my mind and my heart.”
Mike Gough was born in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, in 1985. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in 2007 and went on to attend Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, England, and graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts in 2010.
At its core, Gough’s practice explores the volatile and elusive quality of memory. Digging deep into his past, many of his paintings tell stories of his childhood – fishing trips with his father, beach fires at the cabin and evenings spent playing in the backyard – fond memories of his upbringing in Newfoundland.
In deciphering facts and feelings his painterly descriptions of the ‘truth’ become a blend of reality and idealism. The experience becomes dislocated, but what remains constant is the seemingly never changing landscape. Gough’s recent work continues to reflect his interest in memory-based painting and vestiges of Newfoundland iconography.
Gough has exhibited both nationally and internationally in dozens of exhibitions including ten solo shows. His work appears in private, corporate, and public collections in the United States, England, and Canada including The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery, Humber College, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, The City of St. John’s, and Global Affairs Canada among others.
Gough was the recipient of the Laura Ciruls Painting Fund in 2020, the winner of the Excellence in Visual Arts (EVA) People’s Choice Award in 2015, and was shortlisted for the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council Emerging Artist of the Year in 2013. He has been the recipient of numerous Arts and Letters Awards and provincial art grants. In 2013 Gough was selected for the Elbow Room Residency Program at the Rooms Provincial Art Gallery and was Artist in Residence (2016) at 2 Rooms Contemporary Art Projects in Duntara, NL.
Since the opening of Artspace Warehouse in 2010, the gallery continues to be an industry leader in affordable, museum-quality artworks making collecting art accessible and budget-friendly. With one gallery in Zurich and two galleries in Los Angeles, Artspace Warehouse specializes in guilt-free international urban, pop, graffiti, figurative, and abstract art. The expansive 5,000-square-foot space offers a large selection of emerging and established artists from all over the world.
