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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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.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.
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.
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.
Christisall | Jul 07, 2010, 08:40 AM EDT
The artist is an ignorant ass.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
McNamara31 | Mar 16, 2010, 09:04 AM EDT
Niall...Your still having trouble with your blogger post. Tried to post a response 4x's.
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.
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.
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.
Monsoonman | Mar 15, 2010, 11:53 AM EDT
Judeo/Christian principles are what the US was founded upon. The Judeo part is based upon principles in the Old Testament.
IrishEagle | Mar 15, 2010, 06:54 AM EDT
(contd) and becauase the Irish media coverage is not balanced between good and bad when it comes America's military. Witness the libel perpetrated by the Irish Times & RTE on some soldiers who were invited to a wedding in Clare. They were portrayed as thuggish, wedding-crashers because that's the over-riding impression of American soldiers among those in the media class. That perspective is continuously reinforced and it's a rare day indeed when some mitigating evidence is provided.
IrishEagle | Mar 15, 2010, 06:52 AM EDT
Conjoly, Here's why I can't stand this all-too-pervasive self-righteous drivel, like the stuff coming from Tom Molloy: because you could easily replace the dollar bill with a euro coin - Irish people's (and all Europeans') pursuit of the almighty "euro" has proven to be no less insistent than Americans'.
Madeleine | Mar 15, 2010, 04:16 AM EDT
To the dual citizen: of course we don't agree with a lot of military actions which are reported , and other things, you just wonder why he picked our free country to say it in. He can leave if he wants to, we can't . Think ireland would give me dual citizenship?
Conjoly | Mar 15, 2010, 02:39 AM EDT
Why are all the commentators to this article so defensive? Outside of the USA (including in Ireland) the good and the bad of what the US and its military does is reported. Just because it isn't reported in the US doesn't mean that there isn't an element of truth in the subjects covered in this exhibition. One doesn't have to want an Islamic state to see some of the inconsistencies in approach of the US. And I speak as a proud dual citizen of the USA and Ireland.
kickstar | Mar 15, 2010, 12:30 AM EDT
Judea/Christian This expression is a classic Oxymoron True Christianity has nothing to do with the Paganism that is Judaism:: John 8:44http://kjv.us/john/8.htm
Ajreaper | Mar 14, 2010, 09:55 PM EDT
Let's let him display some art showing the violence comitted in the name of Islam- he should discuss that with the Taliban at his 1st opportunity.
Monsoonman | Mar 14, 2010, 01:04 PM EDT
What would this world be like without the United States & its Judeo/Christian values? Lets let islam flood our countries with their religious zealots and convert us into islamic states. You'll soon find out what intolerance and violence is all about. There will be no more "artists" like Mr. Molloy, as his writing hand will be severed.
semperfidelis | Mar 14, 2010, 12:53 PM EDT
regarding his exhibit, dead texans, i say boo hoo. here in texas ,you live by the sword, you die by the sword.maybe his next exhibit should feature drawings of the victims of the scum bags that end up on death row in Texas. I'm sick of bleeding hearts, Irish or not who see america, and of course ,texas as evil but express sympathy for the true evil running amok in the world.Screw him and Happy St.Patrick's Day. God bless Texas, God Bless the USA, Erin Go Bragh
Madeleine | Mar 14, 2010, 11:02 AM EDT
Then why does everyone want to come to they USA and fight to stay here if its so terrible?
Madeleine | Mar 14, 2010, 10:56 AM EDT
Then why do they keep coming here to this terrible country? Why do they want citizenship here?
Madeleine | Mar 14, 2010, 10:54 AM EDT
Then why do the Irish keep coming here to the USA? Why do people keep coming to our terrible country?