FLOWERS FROM MEMORY (VII)
4 color paintstick monotype on paper. Framed in bass wood.
Close Crush refers to the unseen moment when the inked plate meets paper: the printmaker’s magic of positioning these two elements under pressure, calibrated just so, to create something new. Read another way, Close Crush may indicate nearness and adoration, pointing to the early, swooning stage in Humphreys and McMullen’s relationship that ultimately landed them married with a child. Through the double meaning of Close Crush, the artists also signal a desire to transmit intimate moments of life via image and material.
With Flowers from Memory, seven paint stick monotypes, McMullen punctuates this show with an expressive flourish, perhaps as an ode to Cheryl, his wife and collaborator. The prints feature scrawling marks drawn with sensitivity and urgency that denote pistons, petals, and stems in carnation pink, violet iris or daffodil yellow. There is a frenzied romance to these, a desire to nail down an image before the kid wakes up, before the paintstick dries, before the studio time runs out. Drawing flowers from memory is maybe one way to cope with the Close Crush of a chore list, to embrace beauty and chance despite many to-do’s and alongside the realization that our time here is fleeting.
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Close Crush refers to the unseen moment when the inked plate meets paper: the printmaker’s magic of positioning these two elements under pressure, calibrated just so, to create something new. Read another way, Close Crush may indicate nearness and adoration, pointing to the early, swooning stage in Humphreys and McMullen’s relationship that ultimately landed them married with a child. Through the double meaning of Close Crush, the artists also signal a desire to transmit intimate moments of life via image and material.
With Flowers from Memory, seven paint stick monotypes, McMullen punctuates this show with an expressive flourish, perhaps as an ode to Cheryl, his wife and collaborator. The prints feature scrawling marks drawn with sensitivity and urgency that denote pistons, petals, and stems in carnation pink, violet iris or daffodil yellow. There is a frenzied romance to these, a desire to nail down an image before the kid wakes up, before the paintstick dries, before the studio time runs out. Drawing flowers from memory is maybe one way to cope with the Close Crush of a chore list, to embrace beauty and chance despite many to-do’s and alongside the realization that our time here is fleeting.
Artwork Information
Year
2024
Materials
4 color paintstick monotype on paper. Framed in bass wood.
Authentication
Signed by Artist
The work comes with a Certification of Authenticity signed by the Co-Founder of Tappan
Dimensions
18.75 x 14.5 inches
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“My practice is more akin to automatic writing or gestural drawing than it is a planned production, less concerned with outcomes than honesty.”
About the Artist
Mike McMullen
Mike McMullen creates work as an Artist, Art Director and Designer in Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife and partner Cheryl Humphreys and their son Cyan. Experienced in printmaking, McMullen also elevates the role of play in his work, encouraging him to expand his practice into other mediums.
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This service is currently unavailable,
sorry for the inconvenience.
Pair it with a frame
Frame options are for visualization purposes only.
FRAME STYLE
MATTING SIZE
BUILDING YOUR EXPERIENCE
powered by Blankwall
Take a few steps back and let your camera see more of the scene.
powered by Blankwall
Was this experience helpful?
Close Crush refers to the unseen moment when the inked plate meets paper: the printmaker’s magic of positioning these two elements under pressure, calibrated just so, to create something new. Read another way, Close Crush may indicate nearness and adoration, pointing to the early, swooning stage in Humphreys and McMullen’s relationship that ultimately landed them married with a child. Through the double meaning of Close Crush, the artists also signal a desire to transmit intimate moments of life via image and material.
With Flowers from Memory, seven paint stick monotypes, McMullen punctuates this show with an expressive flourish, perhaps as an ode to Cheryl, his wife and collaborator. The prints feature scrawling marks drawn with sensitivity and urgency that denote pistons, petals, and stems in carnation pink, violet iris or daffodil yellow. There is a frenzied romance to these, a desire to nail down an image before the kid wakes up, before the paintstick dries, before the studio time runs out. Drawing flowers from memory is maybe one way to cope with the Close Crush of a chore list, to embrace beauty and chance despite many to-do’s and alongside the realization that our time here is fleeting.
BOBBY BERK ON MIKE MCMULLEN
“This print has a real simplicity and quietness to it, and that's what I love about it. It doesn't shout, it whispers. And sometimes, you want your art to have a really subtle and understated feel.”
Artwork: Snare