MOLLY MURPHY
Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, Montana
Schedule
Yellowstone Art Museum
Billings
November 1, 2011 - January 1, 2012
Molly Murphy uses traditional Native American beadwork techniques and
patterns and applies it to contemporary social issues.
" My beadwork serves as a cultural narrative, an expression of personal experience, and an exploration of form and function. These boxes reflect the art making tradition of my Oglala Lakota tribal heritage integrated with modern professional art education.
I choose to use wool and beads as a way to connect with tribal art forms from antiquity as well as more recent trends. My designs originate from older, more traditional sources while the materials reflect the effect trade goods had on esthetic and fashion. These physical elements create a specific textural and tactile experience necessary to tell my stories. The liberties I take with materials, line quality, and design elements reflect my interest in contemporary art and the development of abstraction in the Western art tradition. The geometric elements in beadwork can be either purely abstract or more representational, depending on the narrative. I use the traditional language of color and shape to articulate new observations on politics, history, and identity."