Martin Mull at Spike Gallery in New York
I was so excited a few weeks ago when I picked up an Art in America and saw a great reveiw of one of my favorite living artists, Martin Mull. He had a show at Spike Gallery in New York earlier this year. I miss going around to galleries and events like we used to when I lived in Philly, but I know how impossible it would be to do even if we still lived out there. So I just have to read about the goings on and see these things online.
Yes, I am talking about that Martin Mull, the one you've seen on TV. Martin has both a BFA and an MFA from RISD; the comedy thing was the way to pay the bills. Not too long ago my friend Collette was the director of a gallery that showed Martin, and one evening after an amazing opening we got to have dinner with him. I completely fell in love with his paintings. Here is one called Bible Stories. In his paintings he has been taking very 1950s imagery, like Dick and Jane whitebred perfect Father Knows Best family images, and deconstructing them (sometimes literally). So many other people can describe it better than I, so please bear with me. The paintings are very reactionary, reacting to the memories and images that informed Martin of the way he was supposed to be, the way his family was supposed look and act, and then realizing that not only could they never live up to those models, but that he felt even striving to be those models was a waste of time.
So his 2004 show at Spike had drawn some good press. Since Martin is also one of the nicest, most humble men I have ever met, I know he is flattered and enjoying it. He accepts even personal congratualtions from boneheads like me with such surprise and appreciation. I would love to see these paintings for real. He is now painting a lot of the people and thier scene photrealisitcally and sometimes adding a kitschy border. I will just have to be satisfied with seeing the JPEGS. This is Black Moshanon II
And this one is so creepy, Interior.
Yes, I am talking about that Martin Mull, the one you've seen on TV. Martin has both a BFA and an MFA from RISD; the comedy thing was the way to pay the bills. Not too long ago my friend Collette was the director of a gallery that showed Martin, and one evening after an amazing opening we got to have dinner with him. I completely fell in love with his paintings. Here is one called Bible Stories. In his paintings he has been taking very 1950s imagery, like Dick and Jane whitebred perfect Father Knows Best family images, and deconstructing them (sometimes literally). So many other people can describe it better than I, so please bear with me. The paintings are very reactionary, reacting to the memories and images that informed Martin of the way he was supposed to be, the way his family was supposed look and act, and then realizing that not only could they never live up to those models, but that he felt even striving to be those models was a waste of time.
So his 2004 show at Spike had drawn some good press. Since Martin is also one of the nicest, most humble men I have ever met, I know he is flattered and enjoying it. He accepts even personal congratualtions from boneheads like me with such surprise and appreciation. I would love to see these paintings for real. He is now painting a lot of the people and thier scene photrealisitcally and sometimes adding a kitschy border. I will just have to be satisfied with seeing the JPEGS. This is Black Moshanon II
And this one is so creepy, Interior.
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