
Spotlight Artist
Christopher McNulty
South
Artist Statement
My recent work explores the problem of knowledge and the limitations of Reason as a means of understanding both the internal and external world. In particular, I am interested in the mundane ideals that we encounter in our day-to-day lives, and how they structure our understanding of our physical, intellectual, and emotional worlds. In my work, I attempt to achieve these ideals through simple, repetitive, and labor intensive projects, which are drawn from the fundamental processes of science and mathematics: quantification, addition, division, measurement, mapping, and reproduction. The resulting processes - which range from the drawing of perfectly straight lines to the mapping of language and the body -are part lab experiment and part meditation. The work is produced as I attempt to perform these processes over and over again using only my hands, eyes, and basic tools. The resulting object stands as a record of my process of striving to achieve perfection, and having that desire frustrated over and over, despite the knowledge that the ideal was unachievable to begin with.
Artist's Additional works
Works shared by the artist outside of their featured New American Paintings selections


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