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Location

Thorp Building

1618 Northeast Central Avenue
#217
Minneapolis, MN 55413
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Abstract Expressionism Colorful Contemporary Textured Modern Art Paintings

Shawn McNulty is a prolific contemporary painter from Minneapolis who has been working professionally for the past twenty years. His refreshing approach to creativity has inspired artists all over the world. McNulty’s abstract modern colorful paintings can be found in notable collections including President Bill Clinton, Peyton Manning, US Bank Stadium, Emerson, UBS Financial, Paramount, Bellagio Hotel, and General Mills. He is influenced by Abstract Expressionists such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Hans Hofmann, Clyfford Still, Joan Mitchell, Helen Frankenthaler, Franz Kline, and Richard Diebenkorn.

“My work is dependent on design fundamentals: form, color, and composition. I believe the most complex emotions can be evoked from the simplest of forms. My style explores the relationship between man-made structures and the natural world; the idea of recognizable shapes and structures living within irrational thoughts and emotions. I begin a new piece very spontaneously and become more detailed as the composition starts to show itself. The process involves layering. The first layers are the most erratic and freeform, similar to automatic writing. An impasto style is used during this time creating thick textures. A dialogue is created with the painting, and it starts to show me what needs to be done. My newer work has taken on more of a complex composition. I’m still using vibrant colors in more of a color field format instead of the more chaotic arrangements of multicolored geometric shapes of past works. Also, I work with my feet utilizing a “shoe palette knife” I invented, which is basically a large commercial grade joint knife duct taped to a shoe. I enjoy the broad sweeping and jabbing motions of my legs while looking down on the canvas from above. Thick layers of acrylic and pumice are applied, scraped off, reapplied, sliced off, smashed, scuffed, etc. Sometimes I add collage components including paint skins and magazine pages on the first layer. The color fields interplay with each other, attempting to find common ground resulting in complex edges. The process continues until a solution is found, always applying and mixing paint directly on the canvas, scraping away layers to reveal the ghostly characters of the previous.  Determining when a painting is finished is a crucial and difficult step in my process.”

Art-A-Whirl

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Shawn McNulty is open on Saturday & Sunday of Art-A-Whirl weekend.

I will be open Saturday and Sunday for Art-A-Whirl 2023.

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Commissions

Shawn McNulty takes commissions.

Online Store

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