Malbaurn’s abstract paintings deal with the push and pull within the natural and synthetic world. Presenting nouns found in nature, he uses synthetic water-based mediums such as silica, urethane, and acrylic resin to make his own paint. These nouns, ranging from tornados to flowers, reference a dialogue with nature, art history, design and architecture.

The paintings are flat color fields with lines that race, zip and carve themselves through the surface. Focusing on the poetics and dynamics of formal issues, Malbaurn’s lines play with fluid and rhythmic or sharp and bouncy, creating an abstract language that is both expressive and refined . With the exception of tape, the paintings are constructed by hand without geometrical tools or spray applications.