We met up with contemporary artist Paul Ø. McNulty on a sunny morning to take a look into his atalier, talk about some of his earliest memories with art and which musical artist would play a whole day of working on his arts.
Paul is an artist we at Merger are deeply fond of. His expression with colors, the way he tranform old garment and gives them new lifes in his artwork and his approach to dressing is something we all could learn from.
Born in Northhampton, Paul moved to Copenhagen at the tender age of 2 and still has family in Blackburn. I believe you can still sense the early days of Britain in Paul today, and his love for 80/90 british music, and "Manchester-baggy" is just an example of this. In this small interview, you can learn more about Paul, how he works, and what helps with "writers block"
What is your earliest memory with art?
My earliest memory with art was with my Danish grandmother, Ragnhild. She drew an elephant for me when I was a kid, and my eyes lit up. She was an artist, illustrator, teacher, author, and much more - a great personality and a generous human being. She was ahead of her time and a massive inspiration to me.
If you had to choose one musical artist to play a whole day at your atelier, who would it be?
It would probably be The Smiths, or any Madchester band or artist from the late ’80s or ’90s. The amount of great bands and music from that era and area of England is really something special. Also, the “Manchester baggy” culture from that time shaped the way we dress today - probably the reason why I wear bucket hats all the time, who knows haha.
You use a somewhat untraditional medium in your art, mixing painting with fabric. Can you elaborate on how you came to that medium and why?
I work with discarded textiles and clothing as a medium for storytelling - deconstructing, tearing, and cutting garments into fragments, then applying them to canvas and sculptures in an abstract way. The Arte Povera movement has been an inspiring period and forms the basis for how I work methodically with my ideas. I’m interested in why we connect with clothes and material objects, and at what point in their life cycle they lose value to us. This leads to another thought - perhaps even more importantly - how we consume clothing, and the mindset and ingrained habits behind it. There’s also a constant urge in me to question our state of mind. Our future and the planet are at stake, and I feel a need to share my perspectives and emotions, and open my mind through my work.
What part does fashion play in your art? Do you take inspiration from fashion, or does it have a more practical role in your work as an artist?
I previously worked as a designer and was part of the industry for four years. At the beginning of my artistic practice, I took a lot of inspiration from the working methods of that world, so to some extent it played a practical role early on.
But over time, you leave those ways of working behind. At least for me, I need to set myself free and let intuition and instinct take over. When I reach that trance-like state of mind, I know I’m onto something good.
Is there a garment in your wardrobe that holds a special place in your heart or has an interesting story?
I would say my oldest bucket hat. I bought it years ago in Paris from a small Korean-French brand. It’s completely sun-faded with a great patina, but it has the perfect fit for me. I asked a friend who was recently in Paris to pick up two new ones from the same place.
Where do you turn when you’ve hit a creative wall or “writer’s block”?
For me, there are two approaches. If possible, I take a break - go for a walk, step out of the workspace, and let a new perspective come. It also helps to minimize screen time - no doom-scrolling.
The other approach, and probably the more common one, is to work through it. Sometimes all it takes is emptying out a paint bucket and starting from scratch. Bring out the inner child, make a few thoughtless brushstrokes, and good ideas will appear.
Where in Copenhagen do you always find yourself going back to for tranquility or inspiration?
Away from the city, haha. A walk in the woods or doing rounds around the lakes usually does the trick. I’m quite simple in that way - often the walk to and from work is more than enough for me.
If you could trade one piece of art with another artist, who would it be?
Anything from Alberto Burri - a great Italian master who was also associated with the Arte Povera movement.
What, in your eyes, are the biggest struggles artists face in the AI/internet era?
The scene is completely flooded these days. There are so many talented artists, and when everything is online, it’s easy to get overlooked in the noise of social media and algorithms. Distraction is destructive for most people, and sadly many get stuck in all the negativity - including myself sometimes. It’s properly addictive.
If you could place one of your works in any office or home, where would it be and why?
That’s a good question. To be honest, probably Rick Rubin’s Bonetti/Kozerski house in Malibu, California. His home is very minimalistic, and a piece of work there would stand out in the best possible way.
Paul is wearing:
Arne Shirt - Brown Checked
Arne Shirt - Light Checked
Pablo Pants - Black
Shot and edited by
Vigge Woll
