Molly Finn

Lives and works in San Carlos, CA, USA

Artist statement

I transform discarded materials into compelling mixed-media works that blur the boundaries between two dimensional art and sculpture. Drawing inspiration from studio remnants and unexpected finds at hardware stores, I employ unconventional materials to build up textured surfaces that give two-dimensional works a distinctly sculptural presence. My practice is rooted in exploration and expression—investigating how different manipulations of material can reveal new aesthetic possibilities while contemplating the significance of the series or piece to me personally. In my recent textile series, I excavate personal history through fabric, incorporating denim remnants from a quilt crafted by my mother. These works become meditations on lineage, weaving together two distinct family traditions: my maternal line of seamstresses and the abstract expressionist legacy of my paternal grandmother. By fusing fabric onto panels, I create a visual dialogue between these inherited practices, transforming familial craft traditions into contemporary art. The resulting compositions explore the interplay of softness through billowing forms, controlled chaos through deliberately unorganized arrangements, and in some the discipline of repetition that shaped my upbringing. My hardware store streamer series confronts themes of loss and transition with raw honesty. The anchor piece, "The Party is Over," captures the aftermath of celebration—that liminal moment when excitement dissipates, leaving...

Artwork