Days Press Release
“Much of our knowledge must always remain uncertain. The most we can know is in terms of probabilities.” Richard Feynman, Lectures on Physics.
ATLANTA – SALTWORKS is pleased to present Days, a solo exhibition of new works by Alabama-based artist Christopher McNulty, on view from September 8 – October 20, 2007. The exhibition will consist of works on paper and sculpture inspired by the empirical processes of science and mathematics.
In his second solo exhibition at SALTWORKS, Christopher McNulty continues his exploration of the limitations of knowledge through observation. Known for his labor-intensive drawings and sculptures created through repetitive minimal actions and often utilizing basic handheld tools, McNulty’s methods for this exhibition include graphite pencil, soldering iron, glue gun, and throwing darts. The works are creations of feats of physical endurance illustrating human fallibility by testing the artist’s skills under duress.
McNulty describes the origins of his current body of work featured in Days, “This past year I consulted an actuary to determine my life expectancy. Using the probable number of days that I have left to live as my starting point, I have been making works composed of over 20,000 repetitive marks in an attempt to represent the remainder of my life and comprehend my mortality. Like unconventional calendars, these drawings and sculptures both represent time spatially and function as contemporary vanitas. These works continue my earlier concerns with the vulnerability of the body, and the relationship of beauty to the imperfect and contingent. In their absurd attempt to make the invisible visible, the unknowable known, and the uncertain certain, the works also address our culture’s anxiety over the future and death.”
Christopher McNulty received his MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His work has been included in biennials at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, GA; Mobile Museum of Art, AL; and Columbus Museum of Art, GA