"Gray Areas", By Angela Wibking
Nashville Scene, June 17, 1999

Nashville artist shows that the Medium of charcoal has many possibilities.
Blackwood Journey: Drawings by Susan Mulcahy , Through July 8 at the Parthenon

Charcoal is something of a second-class citizen in the art world.
Considered unsuitable for detailed work, it is often relegated to sketch
use, especially since it is so easily rubbed away that corrections can be
made almost indefinitely. Of course, when the artist wants to translate her
sketch into a full-blown work, she reaches for the paintbrush or some
loftier instrument.

In the hands of Nashville artist Susan Mulcahy, however, humble sticks of charred wood
are more than capable of creating fully realized works of great depth, detail, and power.
"Charcoal is often looked at as a minor material, something to use for studies in school,"
she admits. "But since I started working with it around 1986, I've found it is more rich and
complex than I ever thought possible."

"Rich and complex" is an accurate description of the artist's 17 abstract works currently on view
at the Parthenon. While many of the pieces also include other media, even the large, exclusively charcoal-on-paper works display surprising textures, layers, and even colors. "I use different kinds of charcoal," Mulcahy says. "Some are warmer and almost brown, while others have a blue or red cast."
Mulcahy also occasionally uses colored pencils to add a subtle chromatic note to her works.
In "Dreaming," for example, the velvety strokes of pure black are infused with a hint of dark green. Here and there, the cream color of the paper itself also peeks through the charcoal shadows ……..

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For Mulcahy, the creative process is a completely intuitive one. She doesn't pick up the charcoal or approach the paper, even after so many years, with a plan. "For me it's very much about the act of drawing," she says. "And part of it is simply the mood I'm in. When I'm working on very
large works, I'm feeling expansive and energetic and I tack the paper to the wall and use my whole arm when I draw. When my mood is more low-key, I might work on the smaller, mixed-media pieces on a table."
Mulcahy seldom completes a work in one sitting and always works on several pieces at once. It's a method that prevents her from becoming self-conscious about her drawing or focusing on what viewers might think. "I put it aside when my drawing becomes forced," she says. "I only come
back when the drawing wants me to. I want the drawing to lead me, not for me to lead it."

Viewing Mulcahy's work requires a similar approach. Abstract works like these offer not so much a familiar visual destination, but a journey that asks the eye and mind to follow where the imagery takes them. For those willing to make the effort, the sights along the way are rewarding indeed.