Untitled 

Craig Mullins made this digital painting, Untitled, using software as his medium. This choice reflects a departure from traditional art materials like paint and canvas. The digital medium allows Mullins to create a scene of grand scale, depicting conquistadors overlooking a vast crowd, without the constraints of physical materials. The texture of the image, though seemingly painterly, is a result of digital brushstrokes and layering. The weight and form are illusions created through light and shadow, tools readily available in digital art programs. Mullins’ technique involves a kind of digital craftsmanship. His work has a connection to wider social issues of labor and politics. In a sense, digital painting democratizes art production, but it also raises questions about the value of labor in a world increasingly dominated by digital tools. Ultimately, Untitled challenges our understanding of what constitutes a "painting," urging us to consider the cultural and social implications embedded in the artist's choice of medium.