Annual faculty exhibit open now through Jan. 30

Richard Cutshall, a visual arts instructor whose paintings delve into the dark and unknown, is one of the MHCC faculty members featured in a month-long exhibit in the Visual Arts Gallery.

Cutshall has been painting for most of his life, and drawing since he was a child. “My first memories are of making art. At an early age I relied on drawing to help make sense of the world,” he said.

Cutshall says his paintings focus on duality, life and death. “I tend to work from the unconscious very intuitively.”

He also says he likes to use his paintings to delve into the areas of our psyche that we don’t often broach. “I think it’s very healthy to engage that part of ourselves.”

He compares his style to the northern side of the Renaissance, which is more scary and grotesque than its idealistic counter-part. “Even in the grotesque, there is beauty.”

Cutshall says that people don’t expect him to be so normal after seeing his “dark” paintings.

He says the process of creating the paintings is natural and open-ended. “They are sort of organic, so they grow out of this place where I don’t know where it’s really coming from.” He said his paintings can take years to finish.

“I never really know where they are going to end up, which is what drives me.” Despite his long and organic process, Cutshall knows when his paintings are done. “It’s more of when it just hits you.”

Cutshall was able to pick a favorite from his works in the gallery: the painting “Pulling My Face Off.” Cutshall says the painting revolves around the hidden tendencies of individuals who are bottled up. “Sometimes you feel at any moment, people are going to crack and pull their face off.”

He says his paintings are mainly mixed media, which means they involve a lot of different applications and materials. “Pulling My Face Off” uses ink, watercolor, pastel charcoal and paint.

Besides the dark imagery, something else to note is the price tag. Many of Cutshall’s paintings cost more than $1,000 to purchase. “Art is an investment,” said Cutshall. He also said people tend to dismiss paintings as “just” paintings. “It’s sort of a moment that people are buying. I wouldn’t just give it away. It’s not a hamburger.”

In his artist statement, Cutshall writes, “I invite viewers to see the remnants of this excavation and hope that the mythos created through my work makes a lasting connection.”

Cutshall, commenting on the entire exhibit, said, “With faculty, there is a certain level of professionalism. I think it’s good to have exhibits with the faculty.” He also said it’s important for programs like these to be an inspiration for the art students.

Cutshall’s website is richardcutshall.com. but he is just the tip of the iceberg at the faculty show. Check out the Visual Arts Gallery to see all of the other instructors’ works through Jan. 30.