Jill Mulleady & Henry Taylor: You Me

Jill Mulleady (*1980 in Montevideo, Uruguay) and Henry Taylor (*1958 in Ventura, USA) share a long-standing, close friendship and an absolute dedication to painting.

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  – Jill Mulleady, Interior, 2023; Photo: Thomas Lanne

• – Jill Mulleady, Untitled, 2024; Photo: Thomas Lanne

• – Jill Mulleady, Untitled, 2023; Photo: Thomas Lanne

• – Jill Mulleady, Interior, 2023; Photo: Thomas Lanne

The duo exhibition You Me is the manifestation of the bond between two artists of different generations and backgrounds, in which expressive figurative painting and an incisive reference to art history act as a common denominator. Through their imagery, Mulleady and Taylor explore ambivalences that prompt viewers to contemplate their stance on painting, particularly in the juxtaposition of the private and the public, as well as in the representation of bodies. 

Jill Mulleady's panoramic paintings depict a dimly lit interior from various angles and moments, creating an elusive narrative that may be perceived as unreliable. A glass architectural intervention in the exhibition space transforms the octagonal pavilion into a panopticon, reflecting and absorbing the painted figures and scenes depending on the viewer's position. By entering the one-way mirrored sculpture, visitors are shielded from outside eyes and can observe others as they immerse themselves in the life-sized images, creating a voyeuristic experience. In conversation with Taylor's paintings are drawings by Otto Dix and Käthe Kollwitz, which cast a new, violent light on the scenes depicted by Mulleady.

Henry Taylor draws from iconic works such as Gerhard Richter's response to Marcel Duchamp's famous Nude Descending a Staircase and Édouard Manet's controversial Dejeuner sur L'Herbe. With a mixture of intimate and somber, his own contemporary versions portray his personal experiences grounded in the everyday life of his community. His work aligns with the expressive figurative and politically engaged work from German painter Max Beckmann to African-American Bob Thompson. Through his bold, sensual, and visceral brushstrokes, Taylor captures the humanity, mood and social dynamics of his subjects, to make paintings that feel alive.

"You Me" at Schinkel Pavillion is the relation between painter and subject, viewer and representation, and ultimately, the public and the private. Kuratiert

Runtime: Sat, 17/02/2024 to Sun, 19/05/2024 (Öffnungszeiten: Donnerstag und Freitag 14 bis 19 Uhr, Samstag und Sonntag 11 bis 19 Uhr)

Takes place here:

• Schinkel Pavillon