Mollie McKinley

Artist Statement

My work in sculptural photography gives voice to subtle intelligences in nature. By dissolving perceptual boundaries between object and image, the work draws attention to both the tangible and ethereal aspects of the natural world. I’m interested in the shifts in consciousness that happen as one’s body heals from illness; I envision the earth's own healing process in the context of climate change, with an eye towards the strange and surprising. My process begins with exploring wilderness sites and photographing details of wet phenomena with a macro lens. I capture patterns of biofoam that accumulate from turbulent water, algae, jelly fungus, and cavern formations. These gloopy micro-sites are often overlooked as grotesque; I restore their agency and attention. Made into body-scale organic shapes, these sculptural images become portals to otherworldy realms. The work honors non-human intelligence, revering the margins of the natural world.

Fried Chicken Foam Portal Installation 2023 Hand-cut archival inkjet prints on canvas, quilt batting, wooden armature, aircraft cable Left: 35"x50”x2" Right: 40"x60"x2" Installation of two double-sided, hanging photographic sculptures at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, New Paltz, NY as part of Notes for Tomorrow organized by Independent Curators International and co-curated by Karlyn Benson Photo by Mollie McKinley

Bio

Mollie McKinley is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice forges relationships between photographic image and sculpture, investigating connections between landscape, illness, and consciousness. McKinley’s work has been shown at Fridman Gallery, Turley Gallery, The Contemporary Jewish Museum, NADA, Pioneer Works, UrbanGlass, Independent Curators International, The Samuel Dorsky Museum at SUNY New Paltz, The Museum of Arts and Design, Anthology Film Archives, and many others. McKinley holds a BA in photography from Bard College, and an MFA in sculpture/dimensional studies from Alfred University. She has been a recent artist in residence at Light Work, and is a contributor to How-To Kit, published by the Walker Art Center in collaboration with the Dia Art Foundation. McKinley is based in the Hudson Valley of New York.

www.molliemckinley.com