Draw softly and carry a big brush. In Mark Mullin's current solo show, Fictitious Device, the artist puts a new spin on Theodore Roosevelt`s Big Stick Ideology. Mullin`s diplomatic wanderings are into unknown places, unrecognizable worlds. His arsenal is limited only by what appears to be an endless creative imagination. As artist and instructor at the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD), Mullin has established himself as a formidable presence. These latest works are engaging meanderings into a fictitious space of Mullin's making. The artist himself speaks of abstract art as a form of visual fiction.[1] In these paintings and drawings he succeeds in creating a captivating visual narrative that poses more questions than it answers.

The main floor of the gallery houses five new paintings. "Gadgetry" (78"x66"), has a strong connection with Mullin's earlier works sharing their ultra bright palette and thickly applied paint. The snail trail squiggles, the woven brush strokes, the bold solid shapes are all here but the large circles are making an exit, visible only in part at the bottom of the canvas. There is an aura, a blurring that is something new for Mullin. "Gadgetry" is a transitional piece with flavours of both his old and new work. In a broader sense all of these paintings are about transition, transformation, evolution, morphology; this is the central character in the artist's narrative. It is exciting work to see and equally exciting to see Mullin stir his own pot, so to speak, despite his undeniable successes.

The remainder of the paintings fully embrace his new direction. "Loomings" (78"x66") is a case in point. Here Mullin shifts his palette, mixing greyed down colours that create a more ominous effect. These smoky, subdued choices are laid down in loose, thin strokes. The result though still bold, is more of a smoulder than a chemical explosion. There is a romantic bravado in these images, something important is happening but its identity is beyond recognition.

The lower floor of the gallery houses Mullins drawings. Descending the stairs is like entering a sanctuary. These are delicate works. Drawn with a light hand they are almost invisible from across the room. For the artist they were akin to creative foreplay. Mullin took his work out of the studio and into the clean environment of his home to make these drawings. There, with pen, pencil crayon and water colour he created these delicate worlds. Though they preceded the paintings, for him they are documents that record the conclusion, the finished forms at the end of the transformation.[2] Like the paintings, they are fictional musings, composed of billowing piles of ovals with random distortions. Looking at "A Gentle Architecture" (32"x47") the viewer becomes involuntarily engaged in a veritable where's Waldo, seeking out the whimsical variations. Is that a cow's udder? As the title implies there is the suggestion of architecture here, a detailed diligence, a slow building up but biomorphic branches attach the ovals in a manner evoking something more organic, spaces that have been formed rather than constructed.

Together with Mullin's paintings, these drawings create a narrative that questions what is real, that pushes the limits of what is known and familiar. If visual abstraction is a fictitious device, it would appear that Mullin has managed to grasp it even more successfully than he did before.

All images courtesy of the artist.

[1] Mullin,Mark. University Art Asscociations Conference in Montreal, Quebec. "Imaging Risk". October 2001.
[2] Mullin,Mark. Interview. 01 Oct.09.