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COSMIC DISTANCES (DIPTYCH II)
Two Plate Intaglio Print. Framed in Maple.
Close Crush refers to the unseen moment when the inked plate meets paper: the printmaker’s magic of positioning these two elements under pressure, calibrated just so, to create something new. Read another way, Close Crush may indicate nearness and adoration, pointing to the early, swooning stage in Humphreys and McMullen’s relationship that ultimately landed them married with a child. Through the double meaning of Close Crush, the artists also signal a desire to transmit intimate moments of life via image and material.
In his black and white series titled Cosmic Distances, McMullen places two images side-by-side–a galaxy beside a bush of roses; an eclipse paired with a sunflower. Using a photo intaglio method, he scales the infinite expanse precisely to a bouquet at hand. He lifts these pictures from decades-old magazines and books in which they were perhaps used to illustrate man’s quest to understand nature or the unknown – an attitude he carries forward while also exalting the archaic nature of their original printing. McMullen’s exploration of this imagery began during a state of grief and love having lost his father shortly before Humphreys gave birth to their son Cy. This contrast between beginnings and endings, the weight of patrescence plus the artist’s reckoning with how these events felt cosmically linked, ripples through the work.
Shown pictured with Cosmic Distances (Diptych II) and Cosmic Distances (Diptych III). Each sold separately.
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Close Crush refers to the unseen moment when the inked plate meets paper: the printmaker’s magic of positioning these two elements under pressure, calibrated just so, to create something new. Read another way, Close Crush may indicate nearness and adoration, pointing to the early, swooning stage in Humphreys and McMullen’s relationship that ultimately landed them married with a child. Through the double meaning of Close Crush, the artists also signal a desire to transmit intimate moments of life via image and material.
In his black and white series titled Cosmic Distances, McMullen places two images side-by-side–a galaxy beside a bush of roses; an eclipse paired with a sunflower. Using a photo intaglio method, he scales the infinite expanse precisely to a bouquet at hand. He lifts these pictures from decades-old magazines and books in which they were perhaps used to illustrate man’s quest to understand nature or the unknown – an attitude he carries forward while also exalting the archaic nature of their original printing. McMullen’s exploration of this imagery began during a state of grief and love having lost his father shortly before Humphreys gave birth to their son Cy. This contrast between beginnings and endings, the weight of patrescence plus the artist’s reckoning with how these events felt cosmically linked, ripples through the work.
Shown pictured with Cosmic Distances (Diptych II) and Cosmic Distances (Diptych III). Each sold separately.
Artwork Information
Year
2024
Materials
Two Plate Intaglio Print. Framed in Maple.
Authentication
Signed by Artist
The work comes with a Certification of Authenticity signed by the Co-Founder of Tappan
Dimensions
15.75 x 24.25 inches
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“My practice is more akin to automatic writing or gestural drawing than it is a planned production, less concerned with outcomes than honesty.”
![Mike McMullen](http://www.tappancollective.com/cdn/shop/collections/mikemcmullen-4_600x600.jpg?v=1717610571)
About the Artist
Mike McMullen
Mike McMullen creates work as an Artist, Art Director and Designer in Los Angeles, where he lives with his wife and partner Cheryl Humphreys and their son Cyan. Experienced in printmaking, McMullen also elevates the role of play in his work, encouraging him to expand his practice into other mediums.
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![Print by Mike McMullen](http://www.tappancollective.com/cdn/shop/files/CosmicDistancesII_1_31676679-947f-45a9-870b-ef50a2a7d405.png?v=1718229228&width=2160)
![Print by Mike McMullen](http://www.tappancollective.com/cdn/shop/files/CosmicDistancesII_2_6b578223-30eb-49cc-ac59-79826d05368e.png?v=1718229243&width=2160)
![Print by Mike McMullen](http://www.tappancollective.com/cdn/shop/files/CosmicDistancesII_3_e10f97bf-b5c0-4483-a954-f3fd3e4c8d97.png?v=1718229261&width=2160)
![Print by Mike McMullen](http://www.tappancollective.com/cdn/shop/files/CosmicDistancesII_4_50425265-3f75-4d34-ae8e-576c2b7352e5.png?v=1718229278&width=2160)
This service is currently unavailable,
sorry for the inconvenience.
Pair it with a frame
Frame options are for visualization purposes only.
FRAME STYLE
MATTING SIZE
BUILDING YOUR EXPERIENCE
powered by Blankwall
Take a few steps back and let your camera see more of the scene.
powered by Blankwall
Was this experience helpful?
Close Crush refers to the unseen moment when the inked plate meets paper: the printmaker’s magic of positioning these two elements under pressure, calibrated just so, to create something new. Read another way, Close Crush may indicate nearness and adoration, pointing to the early, swooning stage in Humphreys and McMullen’s relationship that ultimately landed them married with a child. Through the double meaning of Close Crush, the artists also signal a desire to transmit intimate moments of life via image and material.
In his black and white series titled Cosmic Distances, McMullen places two images side-by-side–a galaxy beside a bush of roses; an eclipse paired with a sunflower. Using a photo intaglio method, he scales the infinite expanse precisely to a bouquet at hand. He lifts these pictures from decades-old magazines and books in which they were perhaps used to illustrate man’s quest to understand nature or the unknown – an attitude he carries forward while also exalting the archaic nature of their original printing. McMullen’s exploration of this imagery began during a state of grief and love having lost his father shortly before Humphreys gave birth to their son Cy. This contrast between beginnings and endings, the weight of patrescence plus the artist’s reckoning with how these events felt cosmically linked, ripples through the work.
Shown pictured with Cosmic Distances (Diptych II) and Cosmic Distances (Diptych III). Each sold separately.
![Mike McMullen](http://www.tappancollective.com/cdn/shop/files/bobby-berk-square_62db3feb-3147-49d3-96fe-6cdfac10de8e.jpg?v=1696022154&width=600)
![](http://www.tappancollective.com/cdn/shop/files/mike-mcmullen-SNARE_12_25x14_5-Primary.webp?v=1696020850&width=1000)
BOBBY BERK ON MIKE MCMULLEN
“This print has a real simplicity and quietness to it, and that's what I love about it. It doesn't shout, it whispers. And sometimes, you want your art to have a really subtle and understated feel.”
Artwork: Snare