Colorful Paintings Capture the Absurdity of Human Behavior

In the optical planes of Mark Whalen’s two- and three-dimensional works lies a parallel universe of curious and intelligent beings trapped inside vibrant, gridded rooms. The often tortured species carry out mundane tasks, sexual experiments, and intellectual equations, all inside Whalen’s geometric worlds. Examining the paintings as a scientist would monitor a species, the viewer is able to engage with the narratives of the work, developing conclusions and that are often directly relatable to our own life experiences.

The Creators Project sat down with the Australian artist, now LA-based, to discuss the process behind this experiment and how his narratives transfer from paper, to panel, to ceramic, and back to real life.