MATTHEW MULLINS VISIONS OF NATURE TRADITIONAL & ABSTRACT WORKS
ARTS MARKETING & WRITING ARTIST REPRESENTATION Santa Fe, New Mexico www.KSartsmarketing.com kelly@ksartsmarketing.com 540.290.4930
About the Artist My hope is for viewers to take more time with my paintings, to pause and allow the piece to unfold.
The interconnection of human consciousness and the natural world is what inspires the work of Santa Fe artist Matthew Mullins. Mullins’ watercolor and acrylic ink paintings merge human made patterns derived from social constructs with the visual perception of nature, creating a harmonious relationship that the artist feels is often lost in today’s culture. “Humans are part of the natural world. But we often become so focused on our individuality that we lose track of that connection. My work is about reintegrating with nature and finding unity in that relationship.”
Mullins has been working consistently as a professional artist for 15 years. Originally from the Bay Area of California, he received his MFA from University of California Berkeley. Here, he began his career with his Artifacts & Archives paintings, a series of photo-realistic watercolors that replicate the archival environments and materials he had access to during his graduate studies. Having always been drawn to pattern play as an experimental process that allowed for more
risk and ambiguity, Mullins eventually transitioned from his comfortable illustrative style to the excitement of abstraction. This shift coincided with his move to New Mexico in 2011, where the high desert and nearby mountains continue to inspire him. His work now consists of traditional landscapes and abstract paintings, works on paper and collage, with an encompassing theme of our innate connection to and harmony within the forces of nature.
Yavapai Point 22 x 22" acrylic ink on paper
Atalaya 14x16" watercolor on paper
Labyrinth 16 x 12" watercolor & acrylic ink on paper
Chaco Canyon 14 x 24" acrylic ink on paper
Summit, 30 x 22" graphite
Kintsugi Nest (How The Light Gets In) 16 x 12" acrylic on plaster
Silver Summits 30 x 40" oil on canvas
Pines 16 x 12" acrylic on canvas over panel
Chicoma 58 x 38" acrylic ink & watercolor on paper
Aspen & Pine 50 x 36" watercolor on paper
Matthew Mullins in his Santa Fe studio. Click the image for a video of Matt discussing his work and creative space.
My work draws upon my fascination with visual perception and the forces of nature. By integrating human made constructs with natural environments, I’m composing a relationship that is often deconstructed or forgotten in today’s society. Through the unification of these two elements, my paintings reflect a harmonious connection between the individual and the whole, between the micro and the macro. This imagery can take us out of our earthly view and shift our individual focus to a larger glimpse of the web in which we are all connected. My hope is for viewers to take more time with my paintings, to pause and allow the piece to unfold. There are so many details that come out over time that it can be difficult to grab all at once – you have to stay with it for a while and find the place where patience is rewarded.
The Creation of Iron 14x14" watercolor & iron On the front cover, top to bottom: Plaza Blanca, 12x12" ink on paper The Creation of Elements, 24x24" watercolor and copper on paper Spine, 12x12" ink on paper