Rachel Mulvihill, (b. 1985) 
Dream House, 2017 
Acrylic on canvas 
Collection of the Anchorage Museum, Rasmuson Found Art Acquisition Fund, 2019.22.1 

Unangax̂-European artist Rachel Mulvihill considers herself a landscape painter, depicting interiors and urbanized yards that emphasize the mundane aspects of life in the North. Her intimate, unassuming landscapes are often slyly humorous.

Mulvihill is interested in domestic life in Alaska, the process of home modification and adaptation, and the fragile boundary between interior and exterior spaces. Dream House shows an elderly man repairing drywall in a nondescript area of a home. The harsh fluorescent light, the bedsheet draped over items in the closet, the unused wooden beams—all are authentic details of overlooked and unremarkable aspects of Alaskan living. The print of the man’s shirt is the only reference to the world outside.