North Bennington, VT: Traci Molloy’s "There You Will Always Be" at Vermont Arts Exchange

Opening: Saturday, August 18, 6 - 8 pm
Mill Gallery, Vermont Arts Exchange

Brooklyn-based artist Traci Molloy, a native of Shaftsbury, returns to southern Vermont for a new exhibition of works with deep ties to the region and her experiences here. "There You Will Always Be" opens with a reception at Vermont Arts Exchange’s Mill Gallery on Saturday, August 18, from 6 to 8 p.m.

At the heart of "There You Will Always Be" is a series of six large (30”x42” up to 40”x90”), unframed images from Molloy’s evocative “White Dandelion” series. Other recent work is also on view.

Traci Molloy, “Tomorrow I Might Forget,” 2006. Digital print on paper, 4' by 6'.

 "'White Dandelions' deals with the passing of time, loss and death," says Molloy in her artist’s statement. The multi-layered images start with grainy black-and-white, snapshot-like photos that "conjure up memories of delight, moments of adolescent joy frozen in time… teenagers mug for the camera, blowing kisses and displaying affection."

However, the background photos are relics of happier times. Layered atop is text (days, numbers, minutes or dates), indicating excessive amounts of time meticulously counted out. "In some images, the surface is physically altered by the removal of pieces, holes extracted from the photo mimicking the lost bits of memory captured by the passing of time," Molloy explains. "As the viewer approaches the images, the figures slip from focus and fade into the background. This visual dissolution echoes the mental erosion process that occurs over time after the death of a loved one…. This process is essentially the ‘second death,’ the moment when the ability to recall the deceased individual’s voice, their scent, and finally, the way they looked, is lost. The somber digital prints are lonely meditations on time and death."

Molloy, whose work has been seen in more than 140 exhibitions across the country and abroad, has not exhibited in the region for more than 15 years. "There You Will Always Be," she explains, is a profoundly personal show reflective of her experiences in the area and presented for the community of Bennington. The underlying photos of the "White Dandelions" images were taken during her tenure working and coaching at Mount Anthony Union High School (1992-94).

“There You Will Always Be” is on view through September 22. For more information, see:
Traci Molloy.