My work is a process of discovery, becoming an ecology of improvisational marks that embody the wisdom and wonder of uncertainty, failure, and getting lost. I paint what is unknown to me. I paint, not to elevate myself, but to surpass my self-importance.

Named Saatchi Art’s 24 Artists to Collect in 2024

NEWS

Wandering

January 17–March 1

February 6: Exhibition Opening Reception, 5–8pm

February 22: Artist Conversation, 11am–Noon

LAURA VINCENT DESIGN & GALLERY

Now represented by LAURA VINCENT DESIGN & GALLERY

LATEST BLOG POSTS

Beyond the Canvas: Improvisational Painting and the Art of Engaging a Complex World

Improvisational abstract painting, when done right, should defy the artist’s expectations. Each stroke, shape, and smudge becomes part of an unfolding dialogue, creating a space where the act of painting is less about achieving a final image and more about exploring possibilities. This openness to the unknown transforms the canvas into a dynamic environment where every decision leads to new challenges and discoveries. In an era defined by acceleration and increasing complexity and interconnectedness, the process of improvisational painting offers insights into how we might think about approaching the unpredictable landscapes of social, political, and ecological life with a similar spirit of engagement and adaptability.

W hat I Don’t Know

“I have to remind myself that I don’t need to know where this painting will end up—only that it's trying to answer a question I don’t know how to ask. As I’m working, I strive (clumsily) to invite a state of not knowing—as frustrating and debilitating as it can be much of the time—because that’s why I paint, why most of us paint, I gather, to better understand what we don’t know. Or maybe, more accurately, that we don’t know…”

“That’s what I’m interested in, the space in between the moment of imagining what is possible and yet not knowing what that is.” –Julie Mehretu

EXHIBITIONS

2025

Jan–Feb, Wandering, LAURA VINCENT DESIGN & GALLERY, Portland, OR

2024

March,Unexpected Solitude, LAURA VINCENT DESIGN & GALLERY, Portland, OR
Featured in Saatchi Art’s “24 Artists to collect in 2024”

2023

Solo, Beyond the Now, Galley 114. Portland, OR
Group, Artworks Northwest Biennial, Umqua Valley Arts, Curated by Arvie Smith, Roseburg, OR
Solo, Small Works, Cellar Z, Portland, OR
Group, Winter Exhibition, Jen Tough Gallery and Artist Alliance, Artsy
Group, The Space Between, Artist Alliance, Artsy, Curated by Michael Shemchuck

2022

Group show, METAXIS, E. Serreau Studio/Gallery, Portland, OR. MORE INFO
Solo show, The Joinery at St. Johns, Portland, OR
Solo show, The Joinery, Downtown Portland, OR
The Sound of Forgetting, Exhibbit, Virtual Exhibition
Group show, A Thousand Words, Walters Cultural Arts Center, Hillsboro, OR
Solo show, Ongoing Renewal, Nest, Portland, OR
The Gaze Behind Closed Eyes. Exhibbit, Virtual Exhibition

Art Folio 2021 available on Amazon.

Art Folio 2020 is available for purchase.

“A work of art is the trace of a magnificent struggle.” -Robert Henri

MARK DUNST

MARK DUNST