Have you met…Mark Mulherrin?

Mark Mulherrin’s studio.

Mark Mulherrin, Drawing

An introduction can be a wonderful thing. You can meet interesting people, and make new friends. You can be introduced to your new favorite foods, books, music, or artist.

I’d like to introduce you to some of my favorite artists. Some of whom I’ve been familiar with for years, and others I’ve only recently been introduced to.

The person I’d like to introduce is the artist Mark Mulherrin.

Mark Mulherrin, Shift 2012

Mark Mulherrin lives in North Adams, Massachusetts.

Mark Mulherrin, Compound 2012

“Mulherrin’s imagery asks the viewer to penetrate the meaning without begging for some ultimate one — which, he acknowledges, can be frustrating for some people who look at the paintings like puzzles to be solved rather than questions to be pondered without a set deadline.

“When people look at my paintings, they look like they mean something,” Mulherrin said. “They do, but what they don’t understand is, they will ask me ‘what does this mean?’ and I’ll say, ‘Well, I don’t know.’ They’ll say, ‘Yeah, but you made the painting,’ and I’ll say, ‘That doesn’t mean anything — but I do think the painting means something, though your guess is as good as mine.’ Usually at some point in this conversation they think I’m pulling their leg or they think I’m being evasive or just a pain, but I’m really sincere about that, like I have a really definite reason why I do it that way.”

Mark Mulherrin. Drawing

Mark Mulherrin, Motor 2012

Other material relating to Mark Mulherrin.

North Adams Transcript: Mark Mulherrin.

100 Hours: Mark Mulherrin

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