Matt Mullican
Three Suitcases of Love, Truth, Work and Beauty
January 26 - March 11, 2006
The Christine Burgin Gallery is pleased to announce the publication and the
exhibition of a new work by Matt Mullican: Three 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
that Mullican describes as being made by "that person." In his introduction
to the Ludwig exhibition catalogue, Kasper König 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 that Mullican has explored with his work, most
notably with his works using hypnosis, since the mid 1970s.
Three Suitcases of Love, Truth, Work and Beauty, consists of nine bed sheets
each mounted with nine ink on paper drawings. In these drawings the beliefs
and daily rituals of "that person" are outlined. The bed sheets 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
that make up his world. Copying also allows him to incorporate needed
material into his world. All nine sheets of drawings that make up this work
will be copied out by "that person" five times, making up the five suitcases
referred to in the title. ÊIn 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.
Matt Mullican
Three Suitcases of Love, Truth, Work and Beauty, 2006
Installation views Christine Burgin Gallery, New York