Interview with Mieshiel Murray
Mieshiel, your upbringing in a family of artists in SoHo during a time of radical experimentation must have been formative. Can you describe how those early experiences in New York’s avant-garde landscape shaped your foundational perception of art—not just as a practice, but as a way of being in the world?
Even as I child , I was intrigued by the variety and innovation and imagination of the art works in galleries , museums and installations that I saw. There seemed to be no limitations on what could be considered ‘Art’. This left me feeling that anything I wanted to create was possible and could be received by the public if given the opportunity
From the hyper-urban art scene of Manhattan to an off-grid life in the high desert of Taos, your trajectory is strikingly nonlinear. How did this transition inform the spiritual and symbolic dimensions of your work, and how do you reconcile these two vastly different energies—urban chaos and desert stillness—in your creative process?
I had a transition period between these vastly different worlds when I moved to the LA area and attended CalArts ( California Institute of the Arts ) in Valencia beginning in 1982. It was an hour drive to downtown Los Angeles and was removed from the intense urban culture I was used to . I did however take frequent weekend trips to LA for various events , concerts , and art shows that enabled me to keep one foot in the pulse of the city and one foot in the open rolling hills landscape of Valencia before moving to the high desert stillness of Taos NM
Your colored-pencil drawings and oil paintings often incorporate "light codes" and universal symbols that you suggest work on a subconscious level. Could you elaborate on the metaphysical function of your art—what exactly are you transmitting, and how do you see the role of the viewer in completing that energetic exchange?
I sometimes refer to my artwork and my life as a whole as walking ‘Between Worlds’ I draw and paint what some people can not see in this 3D reality ; the dreams ,visions and imagination of realities and dimensions beyond this one. The Light Codes are universal symbols, lines and patterns that resonate positive frequencies with the viewer on a cellular level and are directly transmitted in the presence of the painting
In founding TAP (Temple Art Performance) in Los Angeles, you engaged deeply with performance and installation art. How did these collaborative, time-based practices influence your current, more solitary approach to drawing and painting, and do you see your work today as still carrying that performative or ritualistic essence?
TAP was a great opportunity to work with others and get to experience their creative processes
Performance artists , live theatrical stage shows , musicians and visual artists all co-creating in the same space and working for the greater good of entertaining the audience
Even though I work solo now I recently collaborated with an artist friend from New York doing a series of mixed media pieces on canvas and paper which were shown in July 2023 at Philip Bareiss Gallery in Taos. Im sure one day soon I hope I will work with others in galleries , museums and perhaps architects and city planners on large public projects
Your practice exists at the intersection of fine art, mysticism, and ecology. Living off-grid in Taos, how does your daily communion with the natural world translate into visual language? Do you see nature not just as subject or inspiration, but as co-creator in your process?
When I am in my studio for long periods of time I will often step away for awhile and walk the nature paths that I have created in my back yard to realign myself with a sense of peace and alignment with the natural world . Sometimes after prolonged periods in the studio ( 8 hours+ ) I will feel as if nature is my art work so the distinction between the two becomes very faint . This happens primarily after rendering my colored pencil drawings which often depicts desert landscapes
There’s a tension in your work between precision—seen in the intricate detail of your pencil pieces—and the ineffable, symbolist content you explore. How do you navigate this space between control and surrender in your practice, and how do you know when a piece is ‘complete’?
I have two art studios , one for drawing and one for painting. Since they both require a certain set of material requirements and space requirements, it is necessary to seperate the two especially since the styles are vastly different although the themes I explore are often similar. When I draw I completely let go of trying to control what I do or what images I create . I often say that the drawings draw themselves and I am just the facilitator for what needs to be brought through. The same is often the case when I paint and when I fully let go of what my mind is wanting to create and let the creative flow take over , that’s when the magic happens
There is always at some point , even if I have been working on a piece for weeks , months or even years in a few cases ,that moment when I realize and without hesitation that the work is finally complete
Given your background in graphic design from CalArts, how has your formal training in commercial visual language influenced your more esoteric, visionary work? Is there a dialogue—or perhaps a quiet rebellion—between those two visual vocabularies in your pieces?
My training in graphic design was a necessary part of my artistic journey in that it gave me a solid base of understanding composition, space and tbe simplicity of form from which I could then expand from . One of my instructors Rolland Young, who was a world renowned graphic designer, took me under his wing and mentored me outside the confinds of graphic design to get me to persue my fine art ambitions. He noticed that I spent most of my free time painting and drawing so he took it upon himself to push me further in that direction which was such a wonderful opportunity for me to expand on where my heart and mind were already leading me. I continued in the design program however until the end and incorporated everything that I learned in that program into my fine art which was a wonderful balance of both linear and non linear fields of study
You’ve shown alongside celebrated visionary artists like Alex Grey and Pablo Amaringo. How do you situate your work within the broader tradition of visionary and shamanic art, and what do you think sets your approach apart—philosophically, spiritually, or visually?
I admire so many of the great artists of our time and from the past so having the opportunity to show with such iconic visionary artists such as them was a huge honor. The show ‘ Shamanic Illuminations’ at ACA Galleries in New York was a wonderful opportunity to showcase my work with these masters in our own unique , non competing styles
My drawing style , ‘Impressionist Surrealism’ is something only I do as far as I have seen but it complimented their work as did theirs did mine .The common theme was Shamanism and transcending this world to worlds beyond , a theme which I was well adept to . At the time of the show Pablo had passed into the next world in body so he was there in spirit only which only enhanced the intrigue of the show
Your statement that you want people to “see the world the way I see it—as an infinite, ever-changing landscape that mirrors our inner experience” evokes the idea of art as a form of consciousness expansion. Do you believe art has the power—or perhaps the responsibility—to catalyze transformation in the viewer, and if so, how intentional is that aim in your work?
People often say to me that my art work makes them Happy or that they wake up and see my artwork on the wall which inspires the beginning of their day . To me there could be no greater satisfaction than to hear this . We know how other forms of art such as music, theatre and film effect people and the same goes for visual art and in my case painting and drawing. People are effected by their environment regardless of whether they are aware if it or not so I do agree that it is the responsibility of an artist or creator in any modality to put out positive and uplifting visual images to society
Looking forward, what are the dreams that still pull at you creatively? Whether in terms of medium, scale, collaboration, or message—what unexplored terrain calls to you now as an artist, and how do you envision your future work expanding or deepening your life’s arc?
Given that I am passionate about creating positive and inspirational images into the World I want to see my work in public spaces such as on building facades and public works projects to effect the masses. My brightly colored and bold paintings would easily be translated into large surfaces
My pencil work and paintings also would be a great supplement to hotels, malls , schools , hospitals as well as government and corporate office spaces to enhance, uplift and inspire those environments
