Artist of the Week | Flannery’s art embodies messy vitality

Those who visited the Palmer Gallery's recent Catwalk exhibit were greeted by a large painting of Mollie Flannery '11, gazing from her easel. Although Flannery is a featured artist in the exhibit, it turns out she is also the subject of a piece by her friend, Anna Tarshish '12. The two Vassar students, along with alumni Joe Letourneau '07 and Alexa Meade '09, took part in the Catwalk Art Residency Program this summer.

The passion for art that fueled Flannery's decision to join the residency stems from her childhood years. "Since I was little it's been my favorite pastime," Flannery remarked. "My mom says I would rather draw than read." But it was in third grade that Flannery began taking art classes with a teacher that would guide her development through elementary and high school. "She opened me up to the idea of making a mess," Flannery said, "which has made me kind of fearless as an artist."

The sort of messy vitality inspired by her teacher's assignments–such as drawing with sticks dipped in ink–is evident in Flannery's art today, including her work from the Catwalk Residency. The program provides artists a place to work and hone their craft together, namely their breathtaking Catskills estate.

Flannery says the property's remarkable views of the Hudson River and the Rip Van Winkle Bridge helped shape her work. "There was this incredible contrast of the river and nature with this manmade landmark," she said, adding that much of her work draws on such contrasts. Another benefit of the residency program was time: "It gave me the opportunity to work very thoroughly and take my time–I didn't have that luxury during the school year."

Flannery describes her paintings from over the summer, with their loose, powerful brushstrokes, as an exploration of the way a painting functions as both a window into another world and an object in itself. The first piece she created during her stay, a view of the countryside as seen through her studio window, was inspired by the contrast of window's linearity and the organic landscape outside. She decided to portray the outdoors as almost abstract, while painting the window carefully and precisely, in order to draw attention to the window rather than what was outside. Thus Flannery reverses the normal function of the window, making it the subject of the painting.

A later piece features this first painting, propped up on chairs in front of several windows. The composition draws attention to the differences between a painting of a window and the real thing. Further, the painting within a painting reminds us that the "real" window is itself painted. This play with different planes and orientations in space inspired Flannery to paint her simplest piece: the corner where two stone walls meet. "I just loved the simplicity of the idea–painting a corner on a flat surface. It definitely has a trompe l'oeil feel," she says, referring to the method of painting in such a way as to create an optical illusion of three-dimensionality.

The time Flannery has spent painting at Vassar College has also contributed to her artistic process. "My art classes [at Vassar] have taught me to be more deliberate in my process," she explains, "and taking humanities classes has really affected my subject matter and my drive."  She says all her professors have molded her art: "It's impossible to say who's influenced me most." But the most important element of Flannery's progress over the past few years has been discipline and hard work. She insists that putting in the hours is the best way to develop as an artist: "It's more important than talent or even inspiration."

Despite her firm opinions, Flannery isn't sure what role exactly art will play in her future. "I'm uncertain as to whether I want to devote myself completely to art," she maintains, even though she has spent most of her life making some form of it. For now, she continues painting, exploring the same ideas of illusion and abstraction, confident that regular work will lead her to new subject matter and styles. The rest, she says "is impossible to say."