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John McLaughlin • Profile
The work of Michigan artist John McLaughlin (b. 1954) explores the relationship between humans and their environment. Child-like scribbles are combined with highly finished drawing and collage elements to create abstract works that still retain references to natural and man-made objects. McLaughlin is an intuitive artist, allowing his pieces to develop organically in both form and meaning, and his works are a source of constant discovery for both him and the viewer. While entirely self-taught, McLaughlin has affinity with modern artists such as Cy Twombly, known for his canvases strewn with smears and graffiti-like scrawls, and Richard Tuttle, who often has large amounts of blank space around detailed drawings and simple markings. McLaughlin displays a refinement of form, texture, and personal vision that is belied by the gestural freedom and playfulness immediately evident in his pieces.
John McLaughlin • Statement
My paintings and drawings are part of my own lineage of abstraction that has evolved over some twenty five years. My work has always arisen from an earnest search for resolution in a range of gestures, movements and erasures. The appearance and meaning of the resolution has developed in the meandering progression of the creative process. I continue my investigation into the possibilities of the accidental along with the more deliberate forms and lines in both nature and the man-made world. The labors are personal, but also come from a place of acutely studied history of art, design and music. Similar to a musical composition, I slowly create my paintings by building on and modifying motifs applied in previous layers. I embrace improvisational gestures and incidents allowing some of the previous marks to show in a palimpsest manner. Among this rich layering are fits and starts of lines, doodles and sketches. This action occurs in so many layers, that some images are barely perceivable, giving insight into my thought process and leaves the viewer searching for more clues. On the top layer are hazy spaces of the paintings hard-lined, organic shapes of color and line drawings that conjure a quirky aggregate of the ancient, scientific and industrial hieroglyphs. The paintings are a steady, engrossing read that gradually reveal their history and resolve. My art work on canvas involves the unintended or accidental effect of a mark or gesture drawn over a period of time and many paint layers. This allows the viewer to form their own conclusion based on each individual imagination and past experience.
John McLaughlin • Biography
Selected Exhibitions and Galleries
2011
“City Streets Exhibition”, Lansing, Michigan
“Michigan Fine Art Competition”, Birmingham, Michigan
2010
“Our Town Art Exhibit”, Birmingham, Michigan
“Canton Fine Art Exhibition”, Canton, Michigan
Canton Municipal Building, 12 Abstract Paintings
“Michigan Fine Art Competition”
2009
“Folk Magic”, Barristers Gallery New Orleans Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana
“Michigan Fine Art Exhibition”, 2 works chosen, BBAC, Birmingham, Michigan
“140 Hours Art Auction”, Twitter
“Canton Fine Art Exhibition”, Merit Award, Canton, Michigan
“The Violence of Music”, USpace Gallery Atlanta, Georgia
“Our Town Art Exhibit”, The Community House, Birmingham, Michigan
2008
“Our Town Art Exhibition”, The Community House, Birmingham, Michigan
“National Small Works Painting”, Main Street Gallery, Groton, New York
“Birmingham Bloomfield Holiday Art Show”, BBAC, Birmingham, Michigan
“Our Town Art Exhibit”, The Community House Birmingham, Michigan
2006
“Our Town Art Exhibit”, Community House, Birmingham, Michigan
2005
“Canton Fine Art Exhibition”, Honorable Mention, Canton, Michigan
“Our Town Art Exhibit”, Juror Award Prize, Community House, Birmingham, Michigan,
2004
“Northville Art Show”, Northville, Michigan
Solo Show, Kerrytown Concert House, Ann Arbor, Michigan
2003
“Northville Art Show”, Award of Excellence, Northville, Michigan
“Canton Fine Art Exhibition”, Merit Award, Canton, Michigan
“Summit on the Park”, Canton, Michigan
2002
“Northville Art Show”, Merit Award, Northville, Michigan
2001
“Northville Art Show”, Award of Excellence, Northville, Michigan
“Canton Fine Art Exhibition”, Canton, Michigan
2000
“Canton Fine Art Exhibition”, Canton, Michigan
“Northville Art Show”, Northville, Michigan
1999
“Northville Art Show”, Northville, Michigan
1998
“Livonia Arts Festival”, Livonia Michigan
“Canton Fine arts Exhibit”, Canton, Michigan
“Northville Art Show”, Northville, Michigan
1997
“Canton Fine Art Exhibit”, Canton, Michigan
“Northville Art Show”, Northville, Michigan
1996
“Northville Art Exhibit”, Northville, Michigan
“Canton Fine Art Exhibit”, Canton, Michigan
1995
“Northville Art Exhibit”, Northville, Michigan
1994
“Canton Fine Art Exhibit”, Canton, Michigan
“Northville Art Exhibit”, Northville, Michigan
1993
“Canton Fine Art Exhibit, Canton, Michigan”
1992
‘Cranbrook College Art Show”, 1st Place, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
1991
“Cranbrook College Art Show”, BloomfieldHills, Michigan
1990
Scarab Club Gallery, Honorable Mention, Detroit, Michigan
“Cranbrook College Art Show”, 1st Place, Bloomfield Hills Michigan
Selected Collections
Margarita Papasideri GalleryBlue Canvas Gallery
Gallery Guilhem Nave 34000, Montpellier, France
The Drawing Center, New York
Tracey Contemporary Drawing, Leicestershire, England
Art Collection of Annick and Louis Doucet, Paris, France
Frederic Lux Art Collection, Paris, France
Peloux-Raynal Art Collection, France, Dominique Dartiers, Outsider Art
Maddalena Design Studios, Birmingham, Mi
Artist Musician Sasha Krivtsov, Los Angeles, Ca
Publications and Reviews
Art of This World: Mary Ann WakelyFeatured in Art Nouveau Magazine
Artist interview at Whopple
Author Michael Corbin interview
Gallery Representation
2011
Lafontsee Galleries, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Luminarte Gallery, Dallas, Texas
Art Access Gallery, Columbus, Ohio
SOPA Fine Arts Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Hudson Gallery, Sylvania, Ohio
The Lansing Art Gallery, Lansing Michigan
Xanadu Gallery, Scotsdale, Arizona
Birmingham Conference Center: 31, Birmingham, Michigan
2010
Lumanarte Gallery, Dallas, Texas
Lawrence Street Gallery, Ferndale, Michigan
Busacca Art Gallery, San Francisco, California
Zatista Art Gallery
Margarita's e-artdrops Art Gallery, Spain
pFAn Gallery, Professional Fine Art Network
2009
Blue Canvas Magazine, on-line gallery
2008
Aron Whiton Fine Art Gallery Houston, Texas
Lawrence Street Gallery, Ferndale, Michigan
2004
Wayne County Council for the Arts
The Village Theater Canton, Michigan
2001
Canton Fine Art Exhibition, Canton, Michigan
2000
Quick Silver Gallery, Plymouth, Michigan
1993
Canton Public Library, Canton, Michigan
Plymouth Community Arts Council, Plymouth, Michigan
1989
Washigton Street Gallery, Royal Oak, Michigan
1983
Canton Public Library, Canton, Michigan
