'Preparation Perfectionism: A Special Artwork of Social Ideas': Mick McDonough

Beauty Gallery

10.19.2024–01.26.2025October 19th, 2024 – January 26th, 2025

A colored pencil on paper artwork with geometric and fruit themed patterns. — Mick McDonough, Psychedelic Response to Fruit, 2024

Colored pencil on paper still life drawing of a sandwich on a table, accompanied by a flower pot, a glass, a napkin, and an apple. The colors are warm and hazy, evoking a sense of calm. — Mick McDonough, Back to School Sandwich, 2024

An artistic depiction of an outdoor table setting beneath a pale blue sky. The scene includes a sandwich, a plate of carrots, a rainbow-colored book with the word 'Diary' on the cover, a pen, and a vase of flowers. A plane is visible flying in the sky in the background. — Mick McDonough, Splendid Springtime, 2024

Colored pencil and marker still life artwork depicting a dinner table setting with a lamp and a framed picture of a squirrel. The piece features steady, consistent line work that adds a sense of movement despite its still life nature. — Mick McDonough, Living in a Colorful Worldwide Home, 2024

a monkey puppet with wide open cheerful red mouth and googly green eyes, wearing a green houndstooth outfit. — 'Citrus the Clever Monkey' Fabricated with assistance from Frank Traynor. Fabric, plastic, 2023 NFS

a tall puppet with a bright red outfit on. the head is made from a natural sponge and has bright yellow eyes. it feels handmade and looks sort of evil in a gentle way — 'Jackal Nicholson' Fabric, thread, beads, natural sponge, 2024. NFS

a happy faced bear puppet with a long yellow gauzy dress. She's pink with yellow eyes and purple ears and a crooked smile. — 'Kirby the Cuddly Bear' Fabricated with assistance from Frank Traynor. Fabric, thread, yarn, cardboard, acrylic, 2023. NFS

a blue wide mouthed bird with big protruding eyes and black hair sticking up behind the head. the inside of the mouth is red. — 'Bruno' Fabricated with assistance from Hop Peternell. Fabric, thread, styrofoam, 2023 NFS

An artistic rendering of a table setting outdoors against a pale blue sky. — Mick McDonough, Splendid Springtime of Success, 2024

A purple, pink, and red colored pencil on paper drawing of a still life with a dinner table setting and the flag of Japan displayed prominently in the top left corner. — Mick McDonough, Stylish Japanese, 2024

An acrylic painting of a sandwich on a table against a baby blue sky with warm yellow sun. — Mick McDonough, Lunch on a Sunny Day, 2024

Colored pencil drawing on paper of a sandwich beside a flower pot on a table, set against a blue sketched background. — Mick McDonough, Brilliant BLT Surprise, 2024

'Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have been successful in honoring my mother’s death due to the artwork I have made over the last two years. It’s a big pleasure for you to stop on by. I will put everything into my handiwork that will be complete to fulfill my dreams. And of course earned my way into the artwork and entertainment when people will be around. That makes the best creating ever. Once again, make sure you’ll have a good time so please join us and bring everything that will be always perfect for you guys.'

-Mick McDonough

Studio Route 29 happily presents Preparation Perfectionism: A New Artwork of Social Ideas, a solo exhibition of drawings, paintings, puppets, and poetry by Mick McDonough.

In tender and attentive marks McDonough imagines sandwiches and meals set at tables across the world, in spring, fall, France, Japan. As viewers, McDonough guides us to our seats at the table, and there's a serene generosity to this vantage - we’re about to enjoy these humbly offered meals, but in no real rush to. The paintings feel made with the same careful hands that place bologna atop cheddar and lettuce, that wrap and fold in wax paper for later.

Preparation Perfectionism also includes McDonough's puppets, puppet videos, and a recent book of poetry, windows into the artist’s engagement with performance, popular culture, and experimental writing techniques.

Artworks and Images