Sean P. McGaughey explores his identity in relation to the natural world, painting vibrantly coloured expressive works that navigate the line between figuration and abstraction. Drawing is central to McGaughey’s practice; the artist begins with loose sketches of moments he observes, perhaps a flower or someone’s eye. Transferring these drawings onto the canvas, McGaughey works and reworks his paintings until the original objects unravel, becoming unrecognizable loose forms. On his practice, McGaughey says “My paintings are situated between representation and abstraction. They start with the idea of representation – a face, a flower, etc –and begin to dissolve into an abstraction.”
As a practicing Buddhist, McGaughey is conscious of the ways in which themes of fluidity and multiplicity in his works can be linked to the experience of chanting the Nichiren Buddhist chant “Nam Myoho Renge Kyo” (devotionto the mystic law of the lotus sutra). A chant may start with specific words that have a particular connotation, but as a crowd sings the chant, the repetitive rhythmic sound dissolves these words into abstract sound vibrations. The different pitches of voices begin to weave in and out of each other just as the different weights of marks and colour weave in and out in McGaughey’s practice.
Sean McGaughey is a Los Angeles based artist. He earned his BFA from the Art Center of College and Design in California. His recent exhibitions include The Creator Has a Master Plan, Diane Rosenstein (Los Angeles), Oh to be a Painting curated by Katelyn Ledford, Abigail Ogilvy Gallery (Boston), Common Room curated Evan Paul Trine, Fishing Concepts Monterey Park (CA), and There are No Wrong Answers BSFA (Los Angeles).