The monotype is a unique print made by drawing or painting an image on a non-absorbent plate and transferring the image to paper through a press. Mark Mulhern begins the printing process by mixing printing inks and applying the inks to a plexiglass plate. Once satisfied with his composition, he runs the paper and plate through a press. As paper and plate go through the press, the image is transferred to the paper.

Detail of lithography ink mixed on glass

Monotypes are a seasonal endeavor for Mark Mulhern. The thick, heavy lithography and etching pigments needed for making monotypes often take days to produce and are affected by Wisconsin's ever-changing weather and humidity. 

The paint and inks can be applied to the plate using two methods. In the additive, or "light-field" technique, the medium is applied directly to the plate with a paintbrush. In the subtractive, or "dark-field" process, the artist covers the plate with a layer of ink or paint and forms the image by manipulating and removing the medium using brushes, rags, or the artist's fingers. Each application gives a different quality and texture to the colors of the monotype.

When the monotype is dry, Mulhern often works back into the image using gouache, watercolor, pastel, or charcoal to refine his original print. The finished piece is now more akin to a drawing than a print. The process of making monotypes allows for a flexible method of creation. The artist is able to layer and remove colors in ways he cannot while working on a canvas.

Mark Mulhern received a BFA from the Layton School of Art in 1973. From 1976-77, he studied in France with Stanley William Hayter, the master printmaker who founded the legendary "Atelier 17" studio in Paris. In 1978, he returned to Wisconsin and earned an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Mulhern’s works are held in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, NY, NY; Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL; Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI; Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend, WI; Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison, WI; Chazen Museum of Art, Madison, WI, among others.

Tory Folliard Gallery has represented Mark Mulhern since 1988. 

If you would like to see more work by Mark Mulhern