Nick Mulally, Grave, 2023. Oil on canvas, 91 x 81.5 cm. Courtesy of the artist and FUTURES, Melbourne.

FUTURES presents Dirty Star, a suite of new works by Nick Mullaly, in his first solo exhibition with the gallery.

Drawing inspiration from pop music, art history and cinema, Mullaly distils emotional pitches within scenes of heightened and sometimes surreal states of being. Each painting is a nocturnal impression, glowing with desire and graced with motifs such as flowers and the city.

Mystery emanates, with each work suggesting restless narratives. Figures appear in various states of intimacy, sometimes alone and sometimes together; when absent, desire remains embedded within the image. Thin strokes of rich oil paint in saccharine colours are layered, creating luminous surfaces and an artificial sublime, bringing to mind the ubiquity of backlit screens in our contemporary existence. Light is a subject in itself and an energetic force.

These paintings emerge from a personal perspective, yet are backdropped by queer history. In particular, an encoding of homoerotic desire – the city as a site of reinvention, discovery and isolation. Through languid slowed-down time, we are presented with openings. These paintings anticipate what is to come.

Opening Event: Saturday 3 February, 4 – 6pm.

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