The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) presents “The Super Hero’s Journey,” a solo exhibition of paintings by artist Patrick McDonnell. McDonnell, a Princeton resident, has entertained audiences for 30 years with MUTTS, his internationally syndicated comic strip. For the first time on the east coast, he will display his large modernist paintings.
The Super Hero’s Journey will be on view from Saturday, November 9, through Saturday, December 7, in the Arts Council’s Taplin Gallery. The public is invited to a gallery opening on Saturday, November 16, from 3 to 5 p.m. McDonnell will be featured in an Artist Interview with exhibition curator Charles David Viera on Saturday, November 30, at 3 p.m., also free and open to all.
McDonnell’s works, created with acrylic latex, oil stick, ink, and collage, are a continuation of the story of self-discovery told in his graphic novel, “The Super Hero’s Journey,” created for Marvel and Abrams Books.
“All art is a form of meditation, a looking inward to find the real you, the secret identity of the super hero in us all,” McDonnell says. “I’ve always loved the raw beauty and kinetic energy of both comic art and abstract expressionism. My art heroes include Schulz, Herriman, and Kirby, along with de Kooning, Twombly and Basquiat.”
The paintings in this exhibition celebrate a surprising symbiotic interplay of these two dynamic art forms. McDonnell explores and expands on the spiritual and political undertones of the early Marvel super hero comics of his youth: the interplay between gods and man and the divisiveness of hero versus hero. “This work is a dance of nostalgic simplicity and moral innocence trying to come to terms with today’s unprecedented fear of a dystopian future with hope for a better tomorrow.”
“Patrick’s paintings are individual and special,” says Viera, the exhibition’s curator. “There have been few artists who have been able combine their illustrator and fine arts skills successfully. Roy Lichenstein immediately comes to mind, but he entered the union from the fine arts side. Patrick arrives at that union from the comic illustration side, and in doing so, has elevated the comic artform to a fine arts consideration. His paintings are quite a departure from his MUTTS creations, but they maintain the humor, warmth, and insights that the comic strip has become known for. Couple this with his frenetic brush stroke, and you have something completely unique.”
On view in ACP’s Lower Level Gallery is “Breaking the Chain: The Guard Dog Story,” a special exhibition of hand-colored prints with remarque from the MUTTS comic strip and McDonnell’s new book of the same name, centering on the plight of tethered dogs. A portion of the proceeds from sales will benefit Skillman’s SAVE: A Friend to Homeless Animals, a non-profit shelter dedicated to protecting the health and welfare of homeless companion animals in the greater Princeton area and beyond.
The Super Hero’s Journey, Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, Princeton. On view November 9 through December 7. Gallery Hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. www.artscouncilofprinceton.org or 609-924-8777.
‘WHAAM!,’ acrylic and mixed media, by Patrick McDonnell, is part of his exhibit ‘The Super Hero’s Journey’ at the Arts Council of Princeton.,
