Vortex No.8

Daniel Mullen’s work deals simultaneously with questions of absence and presence. His paintings offer a synthesis of these dualities by centralizing the viewer – first through an embrace of potent color, and then through an experience of geometric forms and perspective that bring the viewer to a threshold of an ever-receding space.

Daniel relies on his eye to create compositions, avoiding any digital aid. He works by applying thin layers of diluted acrylic paint, building up the saturation on the surface of raw linen. Imperfections appear (only visible in person), revealing the hand of the maker and juxtaposing with the digitalization that the high precision can suggest from afar. This raises further questions of reproducibility and uniqueness, especially relevant in a time when the world is increasingly saturated by images and an online experience. Mullen aims to ground the viewer in a physical moment of presence.