studio days

I just put in two hours at the studio... kindof happy about this one.

images from herron..

I'm just putting this up in any order, and will edit soon.

GALLERY OPENING

Exhibition: 3X3
June 30 – August 8, 2009
Eleanor Prest Reese and Robert B. Berkshire Galleries
OPENING: June 30, 2009; 5:30-7:30pm
Meet the Artists & Curators: July 16, 2009; 12:00-2:00pm

3X3 is a unique exhibition experience: three regional curators were invited to select one artist from their city. Treated as three solo shows within the galleries, all three artists have constructed site-specific installations filling the 3,600 square foot space.

From Cincinnati, Maiza Hixson, assistant curator of the Contemporary Art Center has selected Ryan Mulligan.

From Maiza's essay in the catalogue:
RYAN MULLIGAN: Making Self-Help Easy
Inspired by his life as a teacher, TV junky and self-appointed product engineer, Mulligan combines education, entertainment and invention in drawings, sculpture and performances designed as “objective” solutions to real and imagined problems. The artist draws inspiration from personal sources of anxiety over something as irrational as monsters under the bed to the legitimate horror of discovering his father’s penis pump. His art-as-solution straddles the line between parody and sincerity. . . It is an idiosyncratic universe where the goal is not to sell us anything but to query the relationship between art and the prospect of a better life—maybe even the good one. . . Mulligan mines the best and worst memories of his life in drawings, paintings, sculpture, and installation that resonate as sketch comedy culled from a personal hell. They are as funny as they are sad. . . The pastel palette and cartoon-like use of line, reduce the severity of his subjects, casting them in a playful, even apologetic light. It is as if in order to help his life, Mulligan cannot take art too seriously.

GALLERY INFO
Herron Galleries
Herron School of Art and Design
735 W. New York St., Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317) 278-9423
Monday - Friday, 10 am - 5 pm
Saturday, 1 pm - 5 pm
Closed Sunday

some work from this year

"Pee Pump" Gouache on MDF
and "I'm so glad my income isn't connected with the art market" gouache on Art Forum page

I had to scan some of the work for the publicity materials for the show at Herron this summer. Most of the work I wanted to scan was just too big for the flatbed... can't wait till I hire a real photographer to document my work.

back wall



Will and I'm glad we no longer talk (and lots of other works)




Sandwich drawings



The grid stuff.

Images from Exhibition

Egon vs. Stalin



L to R Cajun Things, Clean Floor, Hippy Girl, Lone Ranger Theme, and Projector




Install shot of Museum of Stress Hair Loss (with new yoda Cave on the right)

No Review

I'm a bit sad that there was totally no press about the show at 1708 "Rain or Shine." The opening was amazing, with over 2,000 people there. Part of me wonders if I was supposed to be the one to actively be hunting down for someone to write about the show. Honestly the two reasons I wanted to do the show was for press, I need press and so do two of the other artists in the show. Kate seems to be doing fine, but she could always use more. The other reason was I wanted to see all the work I made this year up, and hanging. The second part of my wishliss made me happy. I haven't heard from any of my former teachers about what they thought of the show. That scares me a bit.

I have been back in the studio prepping work for my next two shows, one at Herron College and one at the Weston Art Gallery here in Cincinnati. It is hard being in an empty studio again, trying to make sense of what happened at the last show, what was working and what wasn't working. Part of me doesn't want to admit that I am really conflicted about what work I need to be working on; were the drawings stronger, or the painted objects? Do I still need to show so much work to make it relate to each other? Is any piece strong enough to live on it's own? This is where I am at now, and think I am going to be dealing with this issue for a while.

1708 Rain or Shine

Got back from Richmond on Sunday night after a super fun weekend of eating my self silly, giving too much tip money to the valet, and seeing over 2000 people come through the gallery. My favorite part of the night, was continually moving the Gallery shark... That thing kept biting peoples feet! The show looks amazing, everyone's work really stood out, I think the gallery artist talk was good, I should have asked for questions, but didn't want to steal Sarah's Time. Dinner after was awsome, I adore Black Sheep, and love me some CheerWine! Thanks pete for the suggestion and Shawn for frontin the bill.



Stacy took these two shots of my wall. I will have more to come once I get home and download the images from the camera.