November 4: First Thursday @ The Original Dinerant | "The Secret Lives of Clowns" - Portland Events, Music, Art, Entertainment, Sustainability | PDXPIPELINE.com | Portland Events, Music, Art, Entertainment, Sustainability

November 4: First Thursday @ The Original Dinerant | "The Secret Lives of Clowns"

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'The Secret Lives of Clowns'
a Mulder142 solo exhibition
November 4th – 30th, 2010
Showing @ The Original
300 SW 6th Ave., Portland, OR, 97224

…The Artists' Show Statement…
Several years ago, I bought a vintage clown doll made in the 1960ÃƒÅ ¼s from a local garage sale. It was worn and well played with, but still visually stunning. What attracted me to this clown was not just its playfulness and vivid colors, but the almost sublime expression of the "man" under the face paint of the figure.

I began to incorporate this clownÃƒÅ ¼s image into my work, and found I was drawn to the idea of the "every-day" man that each clown hides in disguise. I started to use his image to stand in for and personify the very traits that make men what they are, if not who they are.

As the series developed over time, the pieces began to have a reoccurring cast of characters. Two clowns, representing all men, and their circle of family and friends. Much like a writer, I have tried to create characters that act in a certain fashion and in the paintings I've tried to stay true to the nature of those characters. ItÃƒÅ ¼s almost like illustrating a story that has never been told, but one which each one of us isÃƒâ€š deeply familiar.

In the works I like to invoke a psychological connection not only between the painted characters but also between them and the viewer. I want to be able to look into theÃƒâ€š eyes of the peopleÃƒâ€š on the canvas and feel I know what is going on in their heads. IÃƒâ€š would like to create aÃƒâ€š connection with them through common experiences and know why they are acting orÃƒâ€š reacting in the ways depicted, and to have an emotionalÃƒâ€š response to that interaction.

About The Artist:
Born into an artistic family and raised in California, John Mulder, aka ÃƒÅ »Mulder142ÃƒÅ ¼,
has loved art as long as he can remember. Ãƒâ€š With an eye for bright color and a
narrative style, he presents ÃƒÅ »the unusualÃƒÅ ¼ in his paintings. Ãƒâ€š Mulder142 received a
BFA in painting and printmaking from Oregon State University and currently lives
in Brownsville Oregon where he paints every day.

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