Shawn McNulty’s paintings explore the relationship between man-made structures and the natural world and the idea of recognizable shapes and structures living within irrational thoughts and emotions. The artist applies many layers of acrylic and pumice to the canvas using unorthodox methods such as a shoe palette knife (with his foot), knives, brooms, and almost anything that is not a brush. McNulty, now a mid-career artist, has moved away from his signature style geometric abstractions into an arena of organic forms and complex compositions. The heavily textured work in Elixir incorporates his rich color palette, there’s even a beautiful title track yellow piece called Elixir. Some paintings, like Tail Fin and Nautilus, bring to mind exotic sea creatures living amongst vibrant coral while other pieces, such as Brigantine and Windfall, have elements of his classic geometric forms and horizon lines. There are two paintings, Cosgrove and Midway, that he completed at the 2018 Minnesota State Fair as an all day demo in the Fine Arts Building (check out the time lapse video). The artist avoids the common zone out of many abstract painters for a refreshing battered mediation that doesn’t let you relax completely. View his current available artwork for sale.
Citypages Review: “Two remarkable painters in a fantastic pairing: That’s Duane Ditty and Shawn McNulty at Rosalux. Both are rich in abstraction and materiality. McNulty’s layers of textural color—applied with shoe palette knife, brooms, and other tools—are exciting innovations in gesture and color. Ditty’s quiet explorations illuminate the spaces in between line, form, and brushstroke. Both create supremely contemplative paintings, and you may find yourself staring for minutes into the finer recesses of the work.” – Camille LeFevre
Opening reception photos by Jared Fessler Photography
