‘The Figure’: multi-media, a la Mullany
An exhibition of new works by Rappahannock artist Thomas Mullany opens Sunday (March 16) with an all-day open house at R.H. Ballard Gallery, from 10 to 6, at 307 Main Street in Washington. The show runs through April 6.
“The Figure: Studies on Found Paper, Paintings & Sculpture” is unique for Mullany in that it shows his use of a wide range of materials and methods and also his ability to spontaneously render the figure. Ultimately, for the viewer, this event is a surprising and in-depth look at the creative
process.
The exhibit has three levels: Studies on paper ephemera, oil paintings and wood sculptures. Mullany uses paper ephemera such as antique maps, packaging, vintage book and music pages as part of dozens of unique compositions. In addition, oil paintings with figurative elements as well as new figurative sculpture are also part of this exhibit.
Mullany’s work spans decades, and throughout his career he has always created drawings on paper as precursors to larger murals and paintings, but they are also special as individual pieces of art.
Historically speaking, there has been a tradition in modern art in which the artist would appropriate found papers and objects and incorporate them into layered compositions. Artists such as Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Kurt Schwitters and Robert Rauschenberg, among others, often created works using this method. For Mullany, he often develops studies on found papers while working on larger murals or commissions, but also incorporates this method in smaller works of art.
Mullany has exhibited for many years in Washington (Little and Big) and New York, mounting more than 18 one-person shows. This is his eighth one-person exhibit at the Ballard Gallery. He is included in more than 20 corporate collections and has created numerous murals, sculpture and public art projects throughout the U.S.