I was first introduced to the work of New York based photographer this past January when I was sent an image of Jonny (profiled HERE:) sitting naked atop a plastic white horse. The horse was a replica of the kind of horse you would see on a Merry Go Round. Even as a child I always found something sinister, something off about those horses. Maybe it was their odd painted on smiles, maybe it was the fact they were all impaled with a large poll which bound them to ride.
In the cast of Patrick Mulcahy's work, the 'something off' is a positive, creating a distinctive feel and mood which flows through Patrick's images. In some it is sinister, it others it simply causes the viewer to pause, take a closer look. It could be a small detail or the way Patrick frames and poses his models within their environment. From the first shot I saw, I was reminded for some reason of Dr. Seuss. On first glance everything looks as it should. With further exploration there is something about his characters, their faces, expressions, that make you wonder if they actually belong in a children's book. This contraction, used so brilliantly with Seuss, is as equally effective within Patrick's work.
Mulcahy of course is Irish, born in Ohio to parents who had immigrated from Ireland shortly before his birth. Patrick's love of photography began at the age of 8 when he was given a Polaroid camera. Patrick's focus, even at 8, was not cars or puppies but faces. His interest in portrait photography was born and his desire to capture the subject even led him to photograph ventriloquist dummies when people were not available.
Educated at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Patrick immersed himself in the vibrant art community that he found there. He then moved to Atlanta where he was featured in the southern mainstay “ The Great Mattress Factory” exhibit. In 1989 he moved to New York City where he has lived and worked ever since. Patrick's work is exhibited widely and pieces from numerous bodies of work are held in private collections.
Patrick describes his focus as an exploration into the intricacies of human relations and the natural world. The three year project, DUOS, (originally titled 'Masculinity'), began as a series of single figure erotic portraits but has transformed into an analysis of potent interpersonal connections.
'Conflict, desire, fear, expectation, domination and surrender are just a few of the unconscious themes being revealed in this work.'
Somehow I cannot help but think the unique, brilliant sort of 'off kilter' feel I detect within Patrick's work began many years ago shooting those ventriloquist dummies. Like the horse on the Merry Go Round, though not real, speak volumes about the odd, sometimes disturbing relationship between man and environment.
Below:
2 Images from Patrick's 'Light Of This World' series.
Check out more of Patrick's work on Facebook & his official site HERE:
Below: Sam Devries
Below: Sterling Senia
Below:
A-Rod by Patrick Mulcahy.
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