Molly Green

Artist Statement

My ceramic sculptures and installations combine real and surreal subject matter to convey abstract concepts that are only imaginable to those who have experienced them. In other words, revealing the unseen and overlooked experiences of disability and trauma. My work shares private scenes from my life that have made me. My sculptures are intimate acts of social commentary on political and social issues that have informed my intersectionality and psyche. Thus, highlighting the fragile social systems and world's favor for chaos over our need for organization.

The content of my sculptures encapsulate acute and complex trauma experiences, chronic illness and disability, as well as connections between the self and others. My work is deeply rooted in storylines based on defining moments and events in my life. I consider my pieces as unconventional portraits, bits and pieces of real stories/events that have made my identity. The core ideas of my work are brought by the intense need to analyze and connect how life has unfolded. My most memorable experiences have altered my perception of life and the way I experience the “everyday”. The mundane Is more intense and feels more ephemeral which fuels the subject matter and symbolism in my work.

Therefore, I would categorize the main theme in my work as unpacking “The Weight of a New Day” (current series). Specifically focusing on the impact of experiencing gun violence, chronic illness, acute (sudden, short-term) trauma, and the long-term aftereffects. How are our perceptions of space/place, time, relationships, and the mundane altered after experiencing traumatic events?

Clay has its own life cycle and complexity that advances the surreal sensitivities of my work. It is soft, flexible, fleshy, and even develops new growths of organic life as it sits. It becomes hard, brittle, and more fragile during drying time. Clay so clearly draws parallels to human life as we age. I have had relatively complex experiences as a child that have altered and changed my perception of society and my place within it. A lot of my work tries to encapsulate my own experiences with surviving a school shooting in middle school and developing health issues. My work has become an interrogation of the ways our minds change after traumatic events and lived experiences.