Beth Mullins

Artist Statement:

I spent many years working as a Biochemist and I am fascinated by complex systems, both evolved and designed.  On one level my work explores the variety of relationships between form and function and challenges well-known connections between familiar objects by using them to create new forms and new functions. On another level my work examines the matrix of connections between intention and adaptation. Some of the permutations and chimeras I create may echo known biological or man made systems while others may create entirely novel systems that invite careful study. My art is influenced by my experiences both as a biologist and as a landscape designer and makes extensive use of plants and textures. Like a living cell, an organism, or a garden, each piece I create is an individual unit of function. The pieces often begin with a general concept or an interest in juxtaposing certain materials and they evolve through a combination of deliberate decisions and the unique adaptive properties of the materials.

Beth Mullins has been in San Francisco since 1998 but grew up on the East coast near D.C. It was on the East Coast that she discovered her love for biology and pursued biochemistry in graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania. During her doctorate work at UPENN, Beth studied the architecture of the cell that creates the spatial organization and motility inside the cell. Her postdoctoral work was done at UCSF, studying the motor systems that exist within the cell to carry cargo to designated targets. After her postdoctoral work, she decided to switch gears and obtain her MS in Landscape Architecture, a career which she has been in for the last 8 years.  Her art is definitely influenced by her experiences both as a Biochemist and currently as a Landscape Designer and makes extensive use of organic forms, found objects and textures.