SIMON MULLAN
Artist Simon Mullan explores charged socioeconomic associations tied to objects and relations in his practice. The phrase “I am a lawyer/seamstress/printer/musician” signifies not only aspects of everyday life and conditions for individuals but also conveys a sense of personal identity and pride in one’s craftsmanship. To tie one’s identity to the workplace is particularly relevant in much of the Western world. These discrete aspects manifest in various elements of our identity, including our attire, speech, transportation choices, and dietary preferences, all of which signal our affiliations and associations.
Mullan has engaged with some of the workers at Porsgrunds porcelain factory and Ulefos, one of Norway’s oldest functioning heavy factories, established over 350 years ago. The industry’s legacy and the relationships between owners and workers permeate the surrounding landscape and architecture. The patrons’ mansion stands adjacent to the factory, while some workers’ cottages have been transformed into an open-air museum, preserving the historical lifestyle under enthusiast care. Such heavy industrial complexes are becoming increasingly rare in Europe due to outsourcing to countries with lower labor costs and regulations.
Mullan is intrigued by the interaction between work and leisure. How do workers dress during their shifts, and how do they present themselves on their days off? His primary focus within the factory environment is on the individuals employed there. He presents a series of portraits alongside steel grids manufactured at the factory.
In a conversation, Mullan likened the function of these grids, typically used for cleaning shoes in public spaces, to that of an artist. He believes that, like the grid, an artist operates within society to rinse it from impurities and dirt to capture human behavior. It is easy to draw parallels to the portraits of August Sander, who sought to capture his contemporary reality as it was, thereby reflecting the strata of his era. Similarly, Mullan’s portraits serve this function, yet they also reflect a class reality that is on the verge of change.
His recent solo exhibitions include Popularis, (Tresen) Kunstverein am Rosa Luxemburg Platz, Berlin 2020; Blaumann, Dittrich&Schlechtriem, Berlin, 2018; Die Fläche, PM/AM, London 2016; Blue velvet, Sammlung Haubrock/FAHRBEREITSCHAFT, Berlin 2015; and group exibitions include Hier und Jetzt, Skulpturen-Triennale, Gerda und Kuno Pieroth Stiftung, Bingen am Rhein 2023; Re-Inventing Piet. Mondrain und die Folgen, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Wolsburg, 2023; the collection, haubrok foundation, Berlin, 2023; a(r)rival, Lobe Block, Berlin 2023; Sammlung Simonow, Delphi-Space, Freiburg 2022; Borås International Sculpture Biennial, Borås, 2018.
More info > www.simonmullan.com
