Matt Mullican: Rubbings

Dieter Schwarz (Herausgeber)

Complete catalogue (1984–2015)
One of Matt Mullican’s central and most consequential inventions, the
so-called “Rubbings,” are a kind of "frottages," a technique the artist
uses to produce specific pictures.
From the beginning of his career, Mullican looked for pictures that
would not be paintings; thus, he used banners, the traditional carriers
of signs, posters, and, in 1984, he realized his first “Rubbing.” He used
a cardboard plate on which the canvas was placed; by rubbing with an
oil stick the cardboard reliefs, forms became visible on the canvas. This
way, Mullican was able to transfer complex representations onto canvas;
the result is a picture of something that is not present, it is a form of
copy. The cardboard plates may be used for other works and so the
imagery can reappear in different configurations. Each “Rubbing” is a
single work and at the same time a reproduction, like a print, part of a
sequence which contains picture elements from different sources.
Following the “Rubbings” from 1984 to recent times, it becomes visible
that they represent the motives and themes the artist worked with over
the years. The sequence of the “Rubbings” appears therefore like a
diary of Mullican’s work.
The forthcoming book presents a catalogue of the “Rubbings” on
canvas from 1984 to 2015. It comprises ca. 400 works, documented by
images and catalogue entries. The book also contains an essay by Dieter
Schwarz.
Published in collaboration with Kunstmuseum Winterthur.