April 2018 Presenter: Philip Mullen

We are fortunate to have a special treat for our April meeting. Our presenter will be Philip Mullen.

Arguably the most renowned artist working in the State of South Carolina today, Philip Mullen is an artist who celebrates the richness of the visual world. Best known for his strong, complex and colorful large scale abstract acrylic works.

Andy Reed, writing about the exhibition Philip Mullen: Paintings within Paintings at David Findlay Galleries astutely observes:

"Fluid, complex, abstract yet deeply rooted in the world of things experienced in a tactile way, Mullen’s paintings are both carefully thought out and joyously care-free. Philip Mullen’s art represents not an artistic simplification of visual reality but a voluptuous re-imagining and re-working of it, which prevents a viewer from taking them in all at once. And Mr. Mullen would not have it any other way. The fine balance he consistently achieves is one of beguiling the viewer to “work” at appreciating them while not making him feel coerced in any way while he does so. The success of Mr. Mullen’s painting lies in how happily the viewer complies with this task. And the reward for doing so is ongoing: his paintings continually offer up new visual insights to note and luxuriate in, new visual experiences to enliven the eye and to provide repose for the mind."

Mullen is currently Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Art at the University of South Carolina. His work has been in many prestigious exhibitions including the Biennial of Contemporary Art, Whitney Museum, NY, the Simon Guggenheim Museum, NY, Biennial of Painting and Sculpture, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, National Drawing Exhibition, San Francisco Museum of Art, 21st National Print Exhibition, The Brooklyn Museum, NY, a 35 Year Retrospective, McKissick Museum, Columbia, SC (1995), and a Permanent Solo Exhibition, Koger Center for the Arts, Columbia, SC. Mullen is represented by David Findlay Galleries, NY, where he has had numerous solo exhibitions.

Visit Philip's website by clicking HERE.