We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Gray and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, how do you think about risk?
As an artist, I feel like everything I do revolves around taking risks. I think that is what essentially sets artists apart from everyone else. I realized early on that there is no exact guideline for making art. Sure, there is Art History, there are technical manuals and texts, sure there are teachers who can guide you, but there is no exact formula to how to become an artist. You have to rely completely on taking risks to move your work forward. Then, you have to expose your emotions, feelings, and thoughts with the world and that is also a risky business. Once I got through all of that, every other risk seemed like a breeze. Being an artist revolves around introspection and if you are not willing to take the risk of exposing who you really are to the world, I don’t think you have any real chance of becoming an artist. Art and risk go hand-in-hand, which is something that not many people will tell you about this career choice.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I work mainly in painting and printmaking. My current body of work is created through a mix of processes which include monotype printing, linocut printing, painting, and drawing. This process of making gives my work more visual energy. I focus on documenting different environments and ecological phenomena that happen within it. This process has forced me to invent new methods of making marks including gestural line work and painterly streaks. While working with these different forms of media, I am virtually covered with ink and paint. I enjoy how physical the thick ink is to work with. I create my own tools and I am able to invent new marks to use. I love to work with color and energy. I think that this mix of artforms helps me create unconventional images in a sense. They are things that may be recognizable to my viewers, but I don’t think that they have ever seen them like this before. I try and keep that sort of dimension to my work. I am not exactly interested in painting what I see perfectly. I think that this robs the painting of its charm and power. Instead, I am more interested in capturing the energy or the feeling of something instead. To get to where I am today has taken over thirty years of study and practice. I am a firm believer that if you work in the creative field you will always be learning and evolving. It is just the way it is. Was it easy? No. Was it fun, exciting, fulfilling, rewarding, surprising, enriching, and meaningful? Oh yeah. But, nothing easy is ever any of those things right? I got through my challenges by failing. Everyone fails. It is essential to fail when you learn something new. This is the action of learning. The way I got where I am today is by staying focused and correcting my errors until I began to succeed. Once I did, it was like an avalanche of success. Don’t be afraid to fail. It is an ironically essential part of becoming successful. I want the world to know that an artist must respond to the world around them. Right now, our planet is under an immense amount of pressure and my recent bodies of works are very much about that. I want people to change their habits and think of the stress that they place on the Earth, and I address this by thinking locally. Look in your own back yard for things to change and you may be shock at what you will find.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would go to Everglades National Park to camp! This may not be obvious to everyone but this can only happen during winter months, otherwise, you would get carried away by mosquitoes. So, let’s pretend that this is between December and March for our purposes here. I would start by visiting Anhinga Trail and all of the other trails on our way down to Flamingo and set up camp. We would BBQ, play guitar, and sing songs into the night. Then, we would get up early to see the roseate spoonbills migrating into the park to feed and nest. After that, we would go fishing in the keys, probably somewhere in the gulf depending on the weather and water conditions. Then, we would travel south to Key West to enjoy a few drinks on the dock and a night out on the town (if COVID19 and local guidelines allow). Then, we might travel North to Balharbor Inlet to catch a few waves. I am an outdoors-kind-of-guy. If you’re not with the active-type lifestyle, you probably wouldn’t want to hang out with me too much. And of course, we would have to sample all of the great food around Miami like Cana Brava Fritanga, Ceviche 105, Sports Grill, Flemmings Steakhouse, Dr. Limon, Seasons 52, Pho 79, Bocas, and La Mar by Gaston Acurio.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Wow, that’s a big question. I have a long list of people to credit for the small amount of success I have experienced. But, first, I think I have to thank my parents for the level of support I received from them that enabled me to pursue the arts. I think that without that, I would have never had the chance. I think that this gets overlooked quite a bit in today’s society. I teach art at a high school level, and the STEM vs. STEAM battle is raging. It seems like every year the Art Department needs to find new ways of defending itself against its seemingly imminent demise. The world has gotten so caught up in the tech race that parents and administrators forget the importance of expanding and enriching children’s minds with all forms of art. But, I digress. Next, I have to thank my wife for being honest with me at all times. As an artist, I can get too caught up in the technical side of a work of art and forget about its overall effect. Believe me when I say that my wife lets me know when I am being ineffective or I’m not doing something right. She keeps the bar pretty high for me and that helps me a lot. She also coaches me on public speaking, she’s the first one to read my writing and she’s my best friend. She’s actually reading what I’m writing over my shoulder right now! I also need to give my teachers, mentors, and professors their due as well. Most recently, Xavier Cortada has helped me greatly in developing an ecologically based art practice. His guidance and mentorship have meant a great deal to me over the years. Next, my professors from FIU including Pip Brandt, Bill Burke, Robert Chambers, and Alpesh Patel have taught me at the graduate level and helped me produce some of my best work. Then, My professors from the Art Institute of Miami including Louis Ulman, Bryan Hiveley, Judith Burke King, and Mona Mandall taught me some of my best technical skills. Then, I have to thank my high school teacher, Mr. Dan Dawes, from Felix Varela. He helped me recognize how talented I was and helped me succeed with flying colors and even helped get me a scholarship. Last, I have to thank my peers. Thank you for being honest, trustworthy, talented, genius, hilarious, and my friends. Your support is never-ending and that is one of the most valuable things in this world. A quick shout out to Guido Mena, Sterling Rook, Javier Cuarezma, and Patricia Wiesen. You guys are awesome.

Website: www.michaelgray.studio
Instagram: @michaelgray.studio
Facebook: @michaelgray.studio