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| ABOUT TRaC |
Accel Visual Arts TRaC Spring 2006
Gerben Mulder Miriam R. Haier Dutch artist Gerben Mulder has the power to resurrect the dead. In Edgar Allan Poe's ballad "Annabel Lee," the poet subjects his character to an untimely death, but Mulder brings her back to life, showing her in all her disillusionment. Armless and bare-chested, with large, mismatched eyes and a high, blue forehead, Mulder's Annabel is painted against a monochromatic yellow background. The simplified figure looks as if she has taken a turn into the grit of human experience. Comprised of five comfortably positioned paintings, "The Aftermath" is a small but striking show. Its name is appropriate for Mulder's work, which deals with the emotional fallout after the loss of innocence. Born in Amsterdam, Mulder has shown in New York City (where he now lives and works), Munich, Cologne, and Brazil, and although his venue has changed, his devotion to trademark themes has not. Mulder paints the pain of experience. Revealing a possible Surrealist ancestry, his portraits are frequently of distorted female figures in sexualized poses. His adults often seem childlike, his children often look burdened with "adult" experience--both portray the complexity of human perception. Although Mulder's paintings feature figures that tend to look defeated--almost disinterested or detached from their suffering--there is one exception: The Pimp. This is the only piece in which the characters' faces are not fully visible (the pimp is locked in a tight embrace with what seems to be a female figure) yet the viewer can still discern exaggerated teardrops flowing from what is presumably the woman's eye. Even though we cannot see the button noses or mismatched eyes, the emotion is still evident. What is perhaps most impressive about Mulder's art is his attention to texture and color. Whereas Red Head Girl's hair and clothing are painted with smooth brushstrokes to betray their artificial quality, her skin is swirled with blended blemishes. It is as though she has literally been worn down with time and experience. Mulder's work, however, does not share her fate. Though he has been exploring the depths of disillusionment for years, painting figures that often resemble himself, Mulder's edge never dulls.
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Gerben Mulder, Annabel Lee, 2006, Oil on canvas, 30 x 30 inches.
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