Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Schulman.
Molly, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I have been an artist forever it seems. Of course, there were some moments of doubt, but I always came back to it. I went to school for art at Bard College in the devastatingly beautiful Hudson River Valley, briefly studied in Pont-Aven, France, and drove cross-country to LA with some friends in my red 1994 Ford Escort after graduating. Los Angeles was alien and fascinating to me–I didn’t understand the Jurassic landscape, the relentless sun felt oppressive, all the driving, but eventually, it became my home, and I started a family here.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do, why, and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
To put it simply, I make art about being in the art world. My work deals specifically with desire and belonging, dissecting various constructs within the art world in an effort to understand the place I continue to try so hard to be a part of. I am interested in bridging the gap between the art world and the rest of the world by confronting the institutions that tend to dictate and perpetuate such constructs and addressing topics like artists as celebrities, the commodification of art, exclusivity, accessibility, and hierarchical systems.
In my recent body of work, I have been painting playful reproductions of museum merchandise and also creating my own merchandise as a way to explore questions surrounding the commodification of art.
Additionally, I co-created Maiden LA, a network of happenings that aims to dissolve hierarchies in the art world with its inclusive decentralized format. Maiden LA provides a rare forum where an unrepresented artist working out of their garage is on the same plane as an established institution. My ultimate wish is to have a positive social impact and instigate change within the art world. By using humor and direct associations with artists and institutions, I hope to reach a wide audience that can connect to my art and thereby the art world.
As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
I am so glad you are asking this question. I think as a culture we need to redefine what it means to be successful. It should not be about fortune and fame, but about integrity and consistent hard work in your field. I am so proud to be an artist and to have the time and energy to dedicate to something that I believe in so strongly.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
One of my paintings was selected for the MADE in California exhibit at Brea Gallery opening Saturday, May 4, 2019 from 7pm to 9pm and will be on view through June 28, 2019.
I am currently in a 10-month residency at the Torrance Art Museum that will culminate in a show opening December 7.
And of course, you can follow me through Instagram @mollyshoelace or check out my website www.mollyschulman.info.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mollyschulman.info
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mollyshoelace
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/mollyshoelace/
Image Credit:
Stacie Jaye Meyer
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Ben Warwas
April 1, 2019 at 22:13
Rad!