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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

America is an evildoer, says Irish artist in new U.S. exhibit

Posted on Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 08:48 AM

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Just in time for St. Patrick's Day comes a new art exhibit from an Irish artist described by The New York Times today as 'Through Irish Eyes, America as Evildoer"

Tom Molloy is exhibiting at the Aldrich Contemporary Museum in Ridgefield Connecticut in an exhibition that "is not flattering" to quote The New York Times about the U.S.

"About 20 works made by Mr. Molloy over the past decade have been assembled by Joseph R. Wolin, an independent curator. With its emphasis on politics and violence, this show is not for the squeamish or easily rattled. And its insensitivity to the tremendous cost of American lives from our lingering Middle East wars will raise the ire of many," the Times notes.

The Times goes on to say: "There is a great deal of death imagery here, beginning with “Sweep” (2009), a pencil drawing based on a news photograph depicting an Iraqi family washing away blood from the roof of a house where United States soldiers shot and injured two Iraqis; the artist’s own dried blood drips from behind the frame. More gruesome imagery follows, with “Dead Texans” (2002), a loose grid of 50 small, delicate pencil drawings of mug shots of men executed in Texas while Mr. Bush was governor. Much like “Sweep,” the delicacy of the pencil drawing belies the horrific subject matter.

“Swarm” (2006), like “Map,” [pictured above] also employs dollar bills — more than 3,000 of them. For this installation the artist folded the bills into paper airplanes and stuck them, nose-first, to the wall. The viewer thinks immediately of the swarm of American jets that rained down missiles on Iraqi cities during the recent war, but also of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks."

"Mr. Molloy’s works are designed to evoke a sense of both empathy and responsibility in viewers, to confront us with the human cost of seemingly detached military and government decisions,” says The Times. To me it sounds like a lot of the same old angry rhetoric, except in art, we have been hearing about the U.S. from many Irish over the past decade.

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longislander1940 | Aug 18, 2010, 10:59 AM EDT

Funny that all foreign countries want and need our help in time of war and disaster. As far as the Texans, were they in jail for a crime? Case closed.

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patrick1945 | Aug 08, 2010, 04:45 PM EDT

His art work is an attack on Americans. All death and destruction is caused by evil America and no one else in his mind. No thought of freedom or helping Iraq or it's people. Just there to kill people right? Bad Bad America. Give me a break. No wonder this article is in the New York Times.

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rgs5481 | Jul 09, 2010, 10:48 PM EDT

The reactions bring to mind "Let he who is without sin....." To pretend or believe that America is perfect and it is always our foes who are the evil, wrong, satanic perpetrators is, to say the least, naive. America has seen much more of what those of other nations have done to Americans than what Americans have done to those of other nations. And though humans carry out these missions and atrocities, it is the governments and and business profiteers who instigate, initiate and find every possible means to prolong the horrors. It is they who fashion the fuel to force others to carry out the unspeakable acts from which they gain even more power and wealth. What the artist has done requires no small amount of courage and strength to point out that no country's hands are free of the blood of those of other nations as well as their own.

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Christisall | Jul 07, 2010, 08:40 AM EDT

The artist is an ignorant ass.

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LeoDavis | May 16, 2010, 09:40 PM EDT

Mr. Molloy apparently forgot to show all of the blood and bodies that Sadam Hussien and his regime had tortured and murdered. If not for the US Military, Molloy would be speaking German or Japanese now. God bless the USA.

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Spiritranger | Mar 17, 2010, 05:56 PM EDT

And Molloy won't get much attention at the Aldrich Contemporary Museum -- eleven loony liberal visitors and they'll declare the show a smashing success (and 10 will be NY Times art critics). It's drivel...

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Spiritranger | Mar 17, 2010, 05:47 PM EDT

I say, dear Ajreaper, are you implying that Mr. Molloy is a critic or one who is "willing to act boldly and decisively?" He is, of course, an ARTISTE critic and thus, an intellectual lightweight.

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Ajreaper | Mar 17, 2010, 01:15 PM EDT

Rule #1 in this world: Those who take stands and are willing to act boldly and decisively have critics those who never do, do not.

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Spiritranger | Mar 16, 2010, 06:22 PM EDT

America -- where the Irish reach their full potential (and make a buck while at it). Seems like 50% of the Irish in USA/Australia/Canada go liberal and turn against the very values that offered them their upward mobility. Sad. Oh, well, onward.

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McNamara31 | Mar 16, 2010, 02:36 PM EDT

Monsoonman...Since It's almost St. Patrick's Day, I have to say, I love a guy with a sense of humor! I guess "Central" is only allowing conservative commentary today. We independents have to wait till our day.

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Monsoonman | Mar 16, 2010, 10:30 AM EDT

Here Mcnamara I'll post it for ya: Monsoonman you are absolutely right! If it wasn't for that utterly corrupt, do gooder legislation called the Community Reinvestment Act signed into law by Carter, there never would have been a mortgage crisis affecting the worlds financial systems....That about sum it up Mc?

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McNamara31 | Mar 16, 2010, 09:04 AM EDT

Niall...Your still having trouble with your blogger post. Tried to post a response 4x's.

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Conjoly | Mar 15, 2010, 11:48 PM EDT

Irish Eagle, my understanding is that this exhibition doesn't address greed or pursuit of money but makes commentary (one person's opinion) on how US foreign policy is conducted. If you don't agree that's fine. It's only an exhibition. No need to get all hot and bothered about how 'Europeans/Irish think this or that' - there are 500 million of us you know. We don't all think the same thing. And just because some people may not agree with everything America does, doesn't mean we hate the country.

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Monsoonman | Mar 15, 2010, 09:19 PM EDT

McNamara, Bro: Yes ws is greedy and aided and abetted by our corrupt politicians. But the tipping point was caused by govt. forcing banks to make loans to unqualified individuals (cra) it started the snowball. Because the liberals think it is a right for everyone to own a house. The supreme court ruling leveled the playing field...think about it.

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McNamara31 | Mar 15, 2010, 08:14 PM EDT

The first evil that Americans have to stamp out is the Greed that took over Wall Street and threw us and the world into near financial collapse, and the second Greed is the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing "unlimited" corporate money to effect U.S. elections. The first greed devalued our currency, the second greed devalued our vote.

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