Matt Mullican Tiles

We are happy to launch two suites of multiple-colored traditionally processed and hand-painted ceramic tiles by Matt Mullican. Produced by Viúva Lamego in Sintra, Portugal and housed in a wooden box. The editions were created in collaboration with Friends of Paula, Zurich.

Since the 1970s, US artist Matt Mullican has been interested in models for explaining the world. He has developed a complex system of symbols consisting of various pictograms and colors as a means of tackling the question of the structure of the world, and with his system he aims to portray in symbols every aspect of the human condition in different combinations. The model of perception that Mullican calls the theory of the five worlds serves him as a system of order for his method of working as an artist.

Subjective - Sign - World Framed - World Unframed - Elements 

This tile edition by Matt Mullican consists of five hand-painted tiles, which depict the five symbols of the cosmology, used to explain the world and its representations. Within Mullican’s pictorial universe, colors define the different worlds: Green, representing the elementary world; blue, "world unframed" representing everyday life; yellow the "world framed" indicating the world of arts and science; black and white representing the world of language and signs; and red, representing the subjective world.

The Five Word Chart

Mullican’s work on cosmological charts and cities revolves around a system of systematically turning cities into abstract patterns. The charts became grids, in which colored squares, rectangles, and semi-circles from the charts could be arranged in any order. The ensuing world can hence revolve around one of the five worlds, either around elements, the arts, language or the subjective. In this edition of six ceramic tiles, each tile depicts a piece of the grid from the charts. The six tiles can be arranged in any given way and thus allow for a wide array of combinations. Mullican aims to portray in symbols every aspect of the human condition in different combinations. The model of perception that Mullican calls the theory of the five worlds serves him as a system of order for his method of working as an artist.

Friends of Paula develops artist editions and publications in collaboration with Mai 36 Galerie. The ceramic tiles for the Matt Mullican editions were produced by the historic tile factory "Viúva Lamego", in Sintra, Portugal. Each tile is painted individually by hand, making each piece unique. The tiles are made from local clay which is sourced from their own quarry located in the surrounding area of the factory. The production of the tiles follows a traditional process, where the clay is first mechanically extruded, then cut, glazed and fired, to be then hand-painted by the experienced ceramic painters at Viúva Lamego, to be then fired a second time.