PAINTER. OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA. USA
MIKE O’GUINN (1986) MOVES AWAY FROM URGENCY THROUGH HIS WORK, WHICH SLOWS THE GAZE AND DEMANDS CONTEMPLATION FROM A PLACE OF PAUSE. PIGMENT, ONCE HEAVY, TRANSFORMS INTO MIST. THE LINE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AN OUTBURST. A PRACTICE OF CONSCIOUS EMPTYING, WHERE POWER RESIDES NOT IN WHAT IS ASSERTED BUT IN WHAT ALMOST FADES AWAY. STARRING @MOGUINN — WWW.MICHAELOGUINNART.COM
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MIKE O’GUINN
“Could you define your work? Where are your latest paintings heading? Tell us a little about your style.“
Genre-wise, I think my work falls pretty squarely in the abstract expressionist world. My process typically involves quick decisions that tend to find inspiration from memory and musical influences. Most people know my drip work, but lately my paintings have shifted away from that. I’ve been working with large squeegees and brushes lately, shifting between flat and vertical processes throughout the process of making each painting. The process is different than the drip work which requires a vertical perspective and has taken me in new directions. One body of work that came out of this process is comprised of abstracted landscapes that are a departure from the drip work. I start the paintings flat on my studio floor, which allows me to think less and create the foundation of the piece, then I shift vertically and use brushes and aerosol to make marks and draw imagery into the piece. They’re a bit more painterly than a lot of my work in the past three years.
“Which work of yours do you think marked a turning point in your career?“
There was one work I finished in late 2021 called Coalesce that felt important. I feel like it allowed me to settle into a style that was something I’d been searching for and it felt representative of me in some way, like an extension of something in me. Much of my current work has little bits of influence from that painting.
“What would your work be like if you couldn’t use the materials you like most?”
I often change mediums, color and tools when I feel stuck. It’s interesting how unfamiliar materials sometimes dislodge you and lead to creative discovery through exploration. I make paintings in various bodies of work that are quite different and I get both praise and criticism for it. Some think it reflects lack of identity while others have said it shows range. I just like to make what I want and often it’s the experimentation phases where something feels fresh and leads to a new direction.
“Is there any time of year when you feel more creative?”
Summer. I love natural light and warmth. It fuels my creativity somehow. I have more time to make work but also keep life balanced because there’s more time with the light.
“What does seeing other artists’ work give you?“
I look at a lot of contemporary art. When I see a work that makes me want to create, I know I love it. I think we all absorb something from those we admire because we have so much access through social media to see into worlds that used to be closed off. Sharing, connecting and inspiring new forms of art is what it’s all about. Julian Schnabel was talking about this recently, noting that he’s made paintings that are decades old now that a kid might see, which inspires or somehow gives them “permission” to create something new, and how that type of artistic communication is so human. There’s something beautiful about that continued conversation art has over generations, even after we’re gone. We’re leaving our mark and contributing a piece of something that hopefully will continue growth and creative discovery.
“How do you deal with days when nothing seems to work?”
When it’s not working, sometimes I just stop working so stuff doesn’t feel forced. It’s important to make bad work at times though. I’ve learned just as much from the throw-aways as I have from the successes. Sometimes when I’m fighting with a painting that won’t do what I want, there’s occasionally a crazy moment where things come together and something good emerges. That’s where the persistence factor comes in, which can be hugely helpful to keep forward momentum. But there’s also been times where I rip the canvas off the wall and throw it in a dumpster, literally. Sometimes a breakup is necessary.
“What makes you feel that you are making progress as an artist?”
Artistic progress is hard to measure. Sales always feel good, but I think I feel like I’m progressing when I create something that feels fresh and honest. Something that isn’t like stuff I’ve done before but still has the echo of the paintings that preceded it. Usually when I let go and make new stuff that I really want to make, as opposed to what I think others might want me to make or that will sell, cool stuff happens and it’s reflective of some growth or expansion.
“Is there any project you have pending that you are especially excited about?”
I recently signed with Vaunt Modern Gallery near Seattle. They’re opening this summer and I have a solo exhibition opening in November. I’m excited to show work in the gallery, visit the new space, and do a short residency. The Pacific Northwest is one of my favorite places that always inspires creativity in me.
“What do you like to do when you need to disconnect from work?”
Spending time with my wife and son. We walk, hike, watch movies, travel. Normal stuff. Those normal, quiet moments, or road trips are the most important thing for me and also charge the creative batteries. I make paintings in flurries, often on the heels of trips or periods of time where I feel filled up by the people around me.
“How would you describe your artistic evolution in a single sentence?”
I’ve loved to create since I was a kid and always will; now I just have the privilege of doing it on a larger scale, but the trick is maintaining that childlike wonder.
Mike O’Guinn is an abstract expressionist painter born in Oakland in 1986, although he didn’t return to painting until 2021, after years devoted to another profession. He identifies as a neo-expressionist, and his style is characterized by gestural brushstrokes, drips, and scratches, as well as tools like rubber squeegees and blowtorches that give his work unique textures. Music, especially grunge, punk, and jazz, strongly influences his creative process, as do the misty landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. His work explores deep emotions, spirituality, and vulnerability, seeking to capture “flashes” of honesty through spontaneous decisions and without corrections. Despite his short career, he is already represented by Kostuik Gallery in Vancouver and has exhibited at Helena Mason Gallery in Santa Barbara. His work has appeared in publications such as Canvas Rebel and Randoom Magazine, consolidating his presence in the art scene. Ultimately, his paintings seek to connect with the viewer from a place of emotional authenticity and without artifice.
Piece with Artist Magazine. july 2026. © www.piecewithartist.com
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