'Secret Lives of Clowns' - Nov.'10 @ The Original Dinerant

Elroy Artspace

'The Secret Lives of Clowns' - a Mulder142 solo exhibition
November 4th - 30th, 2010

...The Artists' Show Statement...

Several years ago, I bought a vintage clown doll made in the 1960ʼs from a local garage
sale. It was worn and well played with, but still visually stunning. What attracted me to
this clown was not just its playfulness and vivid colors, but the almost sublime
expression of the “man” under the face paint of the figure.

I began to incorporate this clownʼs image into my work, and found I was drawn to the
idea of the “every-day” man that each clown hides in disguise. I started to use his
image to stand in for and personify the very traits that make men what they are, if not
who they are.

As the series developed over time, the pieces began to have a reoccurring cast of
characters. Two clowns, representing all men, and their circle of family and friends.
Much like a writer, I have tried to create characters that act in a certain fashion and in
the paintings I've tried to stay true to the nature of those characters. Itʼs almost like
illustrating a story that has never been told, but one which each one of us is deeply
familiar.

In the works I like to invoke a psychological connection not only between the painted
characters but also between them and the viewer. I want to be able to look into the
eyes of the people on the canvas and feel I know what is going on in their heads. I
would like to create a connection with them through common experiences and know
why they are acting or reacting in the ways depicted, and to have an emotional
response to that interaction.

I almost never paint my cast of people looking out of the frame at the viewer, hoping
instead to capture that candid moment when the people in my work are not on stage,
but are free to let their real faces show. There is no “smile for the camera” moments in
the art of Mulder142. If you see sorrow, love, or even a smile of introspection on their
faces, it is because that is what was going on in their story. And, as a man, I can
understand how these clowns are drawn into their struggles, and it is through these
characters that I have tried to discuss the “me” in them.

Showing @ The Original - 300 SW 6th Ave., Portland, OR, 97224

About The Artist:

Born into an artistic family and raised in California, John Mulder, aka ʻMulder142ʼ,
has loved art as long as he can remember. With an eye for bright color and a
narrative style, he presents ʻthe unusualʼ in his paintings. Mulder142 received a
BFA in painting and printmaking from Oregon State University and currently lives
in Brownsville Oregon where he paints every day.