May 11 – June 23, 2007
Opening reception: May 11, 6–8 pm
Artist Talk: 6:30 pm
Lora Reynolds Gallery is pleased to announce the first solo exhibition in the United States of Irish artist, Tom Molloy.
"Tom Molloy makes work about current events. He directly addresses contemporary geopolitical conditions in drawings, photographs, paper sculptures, and similarly 'minor' mediums such as printed fabric or embroidery. Like so much of the news, his work revolves around the United States of America, its actions, and their effects in, and on, the world. And like so much of the unfolding situation around the globe, especially, perhaps where America is concerned, Molloy's work operates according to the logic of symbols."
– Joseph Wolin, 2006
Central to the exhibition will be a large-scale installation entitled Lone Star. The installation will be comprised of fifty watercolors of BB gun riddled carnival shooting targets arranged in a grid. Their arrangement mimics the placement of stars in the American flag. The text within each drawing explains the objective of the game – "All Star (Red) Must Be Shot From Card To Win Prize." Each element is a meticulous rendering of an unsuccessful attempt at a seemingly simple game.
Declaration is comprised of six works on paper, presenting the complete text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Arabic with each character of text cut away. A delicate lacy skeleton is left behind of this historic United Nations document. Complementing this piece is Dove,a diptych of extraordinarily beautiful renderings of a dove skeleton. The dove, a symbol of peace, is reduced to its skeleton, leading the viewer to question what lies beneath or supports "peace" or perhaps suggesting the demise of "peace."
Throughout his practice, Molloy employs repetition of subtle and often understated imagery as a means to encourage a powerful dialogue. In this exhibition, issues of both personal and political freedom, gun culture, democracy and peace are considered; however, Molloy is careful to avoid overt arguments, describing his work as humanist rather than political. His work presents a starting point for conversation and aims to create opportunities for contemplation rather than to suggest answers.
Tom Molloy was born in Waterford, Ireland in 1964. He lives and works in County Clare, Ireland, where he is a professor at Burren College of Art. His work has been exhibited internationally and is in the permanent collection of the Irish Museum of Art, Dublin, Goldman Sachs, London, and National Self Portrait Collection, Limerick, Ireland. His work was recently featured in Modern Painters.