Paula McLean

Paula McLean on experimenting with mold-making, working on a series of large paintings, and dividing the picture plane with a filmic intent.

How did you get into making art?

I’ve been making art for a long time. My dad is an artist so having that early influence definitely lead to me being creative growing up and to eventually pursue art more seriously in school.

What are you currently working on?

Right now I’m experimenting with mold-making. I found a large piece of crown molding that I would like to cast into plaster. I’m also working on a series of large paintings.

I’m interested in dividing the picture plane into sections and painting different objects or “scenes” within each section, so it becomes filmic in a way.

Paula McLean

What inspired you to get started on this body of work?

The concept for the paintings is still a bit vague right now. I’m interested in dividing the picture plane into sections and painting different objects or “scenes” within each section, so it becomes filmic in a way. In one recent painting, I reproduced Robert Morris’s large wooden wheel sculpture on one side of the canvas and a snake devouring an egg on the other side. I’ve read about minimalist sculpture and how they remind us of our own death because they are similar to humans in scale, yet also dissimilar. They’re kind of these uncanny things that function like mirrors.

Do you work on distinct projects or do you take a broader approach to your practice?

I find that each thing I make has its own individual thought or concept behind it. I don’t know why I tend to compartmentalize my work that way, but I suppose, looking at the work as a larger whole, they relate to each other in some capacity.

What’s a typical day like in your studio?

I often work on different things at the same time throughout the day. If I need to pour resin or plaster into a mold, I’ll do that and then while I wait, I may work on a painting or drawing. I’ll also do admin-type things like working on applications or grant writing. I will often read a lot as well. Right now I’m trying to get through “The Anti-Aesthetic”, edited by Hal Foster.