Mike Furness is an American artist currently living and working in Washington DC.
Mike was born in Salt Lake City, UT in 1976, he lived there until 1999 when he moved to Seattle, WA. In 2010 Mike relocated to Scotland to study at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art. He graduated with a BA of Fine Art in 2012. After that he lived in London, New York, and Taiwan before settling in Washington DC.
About Mike's work:
I have always been deeply inspired by music, it’s the one thing that has inspired my artwork more than anything else, but it’s not always evident when looking at my work. Music provides a foundation and, for me, is always in the background.
My work has a general focus on the human psyche and an interest in social and individual behavior. I am fascinated by the different things people do, the decisions we make and the reasons we make these decisions. This focus has recently led me to the subject of religion, which became the obvious next step while looking at social norms and beliefs and the way these beliefs and perceived normalcies are used to control a society.
I try to provide the viewer a peek into the minds of the subjects that are represented. I want the viewer to get just a glimpse of emotion or a slight idea of what may be going through their heads. I enjoy keeping things rather ambiguous and open to interpretation; even my own interpretations tend to change over time because most of my work is done somewhat unconsciously. I start each piece with a very vague idea or theme and try not to put much more thought into it throughout the process, it sounds quite cliché but the artwork itself starts to take control and ultimately becomes the guide.
Exhibitions
London, England - Beyond The Image, Espacio Gallery - December 2012
Dundee, Scotland - Generator Project, Generator Studios - February 2012
Dundee, Scotland - The Mountains are Fountains, Duncan of Jordanstone - February 2012
Dundee, Scotland - Green Man, Roseangle Cafe Arts - December 2011
Published Work
Salt Lake City Weekly, Cover Story -The Mormon Masterpiece, Vol. 29 No. 21, October 4, 2012
Email Mike at: furnessmike@gmail.com
What I've been reading