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Five Suitacses of Love, Truth, Work and Beauty

January 26, 2006- March 11, 2006

Matt Mullican

Christine Burgin Gallery

243 W 18th St

The Christine Burgin Gallery is pleased to announce the publication and the exhibition of a new work by Matt Mullican: Five Suitcases of Love, Truth, Work and Beauty. A continuation of Mullican's project for the Ludwig Museum in March 2005 - Learning from the Person's Work - this work is similarly one which Mullican describes as being made by "that person." In in his introduction to the Ludwig exhibition catalogue, Kasper Koenig writes: [Mullican's] "main interest is not so much to draw a fictitious character but rather to localise its origin in the artist's consciousness." Where is Mullican, the artist, in the creation of his work? Where should one locate the border between fiction and reality, between the subjective and the objective? These are the questions which Mullican has explored with his work, most notably with his work using hypnosis, since the mid 1970s.

Five Suitcases of Love, Truth, Work and Beauty, consists of nine bedsheets each mounted with nine ink on paper drawings. In these drawings the beliefs and daily rituals of "that person" are outlined. The bedsheets are hung from the walls and ceiling, replacing the gallery's architecture with a world made created by "that person." Accompanying these drawings is a custom made trunk designed to house all nine of these sheets when folded. It is the intent of "that person" that this work be used to spread the word: " Love is number one, Truth is for everyone, Work is hard and important, Beauty is everywhere." In order to help the owner of these works "that person" has carefully copied out as drawings both a first aid in the workplace manual and mathematical charts which, as "that person" notes: "can help." Also, copied out are the lyrics to the song Heatwave: "... could it be a devil in me - or is this the way - love's sup-posed to be?" "That person" likes to copy. Copying reaffirms for him his daily ritual and the things which make up his world. Copying also allows him to incorporate needed material into his world. All nine sheet of drawings which make up this work will be copied out by "that person" five times, making up the five suitcases referred to in the title. In addition to the nine sets of drawings in each trunk there will also be two pillows. These pillows are included by "that person" to be of help to the new owner of the trunk. They also serve as a reminder that the entire work is created of sheets, the structure of the project the same as a bed, the realm of the unconscious, the sexual, a fragile realm entered everyday.

Books and DVDs related to artists in this show

Location map  Gallery Christine Burgin Gallery Address 243 W 18th St New York (Chelsea) NY, 10011 United States Phone 212-462-2668

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