Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of talking with one of my favorite artists. Seriously. I have a huge aesthetic crush on this woman’s work. Which is why I did my homework and came out with this list of questions, which of course quickly got thrown out in favor of a more genuine chat about painting in front of crowds, making work for a community that is not your own, and scheming for better public arts in Asheville.
I first read about Molly Must and her public arts focus in the Asheville Citizen times last year as I was wrapping up my first year of undergrad. It was the nudge I needed to tell me that I could do something greater with an art history degree than teach or spend my days selling art I don’t believe in. Speaking with Molly was the affirmation I needed that I can shape my education to become a valuable participant in the realm of public art.
Molly and I spoke about her beginnings as one of Asheville’s greater know mural artists, namely her project on the I-40 bridge. Though I knew she had attended UNCA for a brief period, I did not realize she had no formal art training (I’m seriously impressed and have renewed faith for my sketchbook drawings, which Molly said were pretty much what she feels most at home doing). Molly said she had hardly painted prior to the I-40 bridge. Though a childhood trip to Montreal led to her fascination with public art, she had not participated in a large scale public arts project until the I-40 mural.
Molly still considers herself something apart from solely a mural artist and it was nice to laugh along with her when she said, “I just need to work on some fun projects for a while!” Which she definitely deserves as her murals have addressed social and political topics that most people in the Asheville community won’t touch. It can be exhausting to delve into content that isn’t just about reflecting beauty.
We spoke at length about her time working on the Triangle Park mural on Eagle Street. I was impressed with her vulnerability on the subject of inserting herself into a part of the black community in Asheville, that is still subject to segregation, as a white woman. When I mentioned how I’ve seen a lot of great artists screw up a great opportunity to help a community by coming in with their own ideas instead of asking the community what they need, she had a wise response. A big part of her hesitancy with the project was that she didn’t always trust herself to be doing the best job telling the story of Eagle Street without inserting her outsider perspective.
Molly’s work is an act of story telling. And for the Triangle Park mural, it wasn’t her story to tell, but she knew that the history of Eagle Street would be a tragedy to get lost in the gentrification of Asheville. Molly had to appease several levels of bureaucracy throughout the project to get to the final stages of painting the mural with the community. Part of her success with the powers that be was her strong connections with individuals at the YMI and Just Folks (two organizations involved in the Eagle Street community). Even though this wasn’t Molly’s story to tell, she made sure the right people were there to get the story straight.
In contrast to the Triangle Park mural, Molly does work in her hometown in West Virginia where she feels,
“It is easier to work at home because I am a part of the community. I know the stories there. I can only do so much to make sure I’m taking the truths from other’s stories. And that is rewarding work, when it works. But working at home I can trust that I know the truths.”
I love the way she notes that as best she can try she is only a vehicle for other’s narratives in her work. It takes a lot of humility and honest dedication to art and social justice to still make a stab at doing something for the better knowing you might screw it up.
Another example of the opposite outcome is from one of my current favorite artists Swoon (Molly is also a fan of Swoon’s work). Swoon’s Konbit Structure(s) in Haiti were intended to meet the community’s needs, but from what I have heard they are hardly occupied due to a lack of communication with the community there. I hope I’ve heard wrong, but none the less I love the idea and here is a link to the Konbit Structure homepage:
Hyperallergic also has some great articles outlining Swoon’s process starting with this one:
Swoon’s Konbit Shelter: Every Disaster Holds the Promise of Creation
Another one of my present obsessions with public art is the Project Row Houses in Huston, TX. I want to be doing work like Rick Lowe,
“… seeking to establish a positive, creative and transformative presence in [a] historic community.”
http://projectrowhouses.org/about-us/
And if you have time I highly recommend picking up a copy of What We Made by Tom Finkelpearl. I’m still in the midst of reading, but it’s how I learned about this project and so many more.
Back to the interview:
Molly Must completely lived up to the art hero I have built her up to be. I am so excited to continue our conversation and see more of her work! We made plans to talk later this week and are percolating some ideas for making sure public art is appreciated in Asheville.
Keep thinking,
Shannon
Direct Disorder 