Lee Mullican: Works from the 50s

Opening Reception: 5 - 7 PM | Saturday, May 24

Exhibition Dates: May 24 - July 7, 2025 

With remarks from Cole Root, the Director of the Estates of Lee Mullican & Luchita Hurtado, at 6:30 on Saturday May 24

203 Fine Art and the Estates of  Lee Mullican & Luchita Hurtado presents a selection of paintings from the 1950s by the celebrated Taos Modern, Lee Mullican (1919-1998). These abstracted paintings, dated 1956 to 1958, were created shortly after Mullican’s move to Los Angeles, marking a subtle yet striking shift in his practice. There becomes a lightness, with joyous elements of playful energy seemingly related to Mullican’s admiration of composer John Cage, specifically Cage’s creations from his time spent in the festive culture of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Shortly after the last of these paintings were completed, in 1959 Mullican would win a Guggenheim fellowship to study in Rome. His works remain in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian, MoMA Paris and New York City, the San Francisco Museum of Art, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, as well as several major family foundations. This selection of paintings by Mullican represents a unique opportunity for the collecting public to acquire specially sourced material that most collections do not include.    

Exhibition Catalogue of Artworks

Press Links:

"Lee Mullican: Works from the 50s" Art & Object 2025 Summer Issue

"Brillance of Lee Mullican Recalled" Tempo Taos News May 2025