Curated Conversation:
Molly McCutcheon

SuperRare is pleased to present Molly McCutcheon: A Solo Exhibition in NYC, held at The Opening Gallery on October 25th from 6-10pm EST. Molly McCutcheon, a 25-year-old self-taught artist, bridges the disciplines of philosophy, architecture, and visual art. Her creative process, which mirrors introspective journaling, unearths pre-existing concepts in nature and highlights the harmony and symmetry she finds in the natural world, paralleling mathematical beauty with artistic expression. This showcase will feature eight works, six of which were created during a recent retreat in Mexico, where McCutcheon drew inspiration from a daily Muay Thai practice and Mayan architecture. The works are characterized by a bold yet harmonious palette of charcoal, yellow, and orange pastels. Through geometric forms and architectural influences, she invites viewers to explore a primordial realm of aesthetics. Each piece reflects McCutcheon’s unique intersection of discipline, travel, and artistic expression.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Molly McCutcheon, also known as Mac, is a 25-year-old, self-taught artist living in New York City. Originating from the scenic landscapes of rural Ohio, Mac's art practice was the late night, side-hobby that carried her through division one athletics (women's basketball) and a degree in Philosophy and Political Science (class of '23). Since graduating, she has started to gain recognition for her charcoal, pastel, ink, and experimental light-reflecting artworks.

WORKS

Of the 8 artworks curated in this solo exhibition, 6 are currently available for sale. Each piece, besides Wave (2024), have 1/1 NFT's included in sale to accompany the physical original. All sales with an NFT will be minted via SuperRare.

For all inquiries, please DM @molly_mccutch or @anloremi or email info@mollymccutch.com

Edge, 2024
charcoal, pastel, and ink on paper 
11x14 inch, 27.9 x 35.5 cm
created in Playa Del Carmen, MX
inquire for price 

Landscape, 2024
charcoal, pastel, and ink on paper 
11x14 inch, 27.9 x 35.5 cm
created in Playa Del Carmen, MX
acquired by OSF for 6.3k usd 

White-Out Sun, 2024
charcoal, pastel, ink, and white-out on paper
11x14 inch, 27.9 x 35.5 cm
created in Playa Del Carmen, MX
inquire for price 

Lost In Translation, 2024
charcoal, pastel, and ink on paper
11x14 inch, 27.9 x 35.5 cm
created in Playa Del Carmen, MX
inquire for price 

Three Birds And A Key, 2024
charcoal, pastel, and ink on paper
11x14 inch, 27.9 x 35.5 cm
created in Playa Del Carmen, MX
will be available on SuperRare on October 25 with a 1.69 eth reserve price

Forgotten Memories, 2024
charcoal, pastel, ink, and white-out on paper
11x14 inch, 27.9 x 35.5 cm
created in Playa Del Carmen, MX
acquired by An_Vault for 5.2k usd 

Wave, 2024
coffee, charcoal, pastel, ink, white-out, and paper collage on paper
11x14 inch, 27.9 x 35.5 cm
created in Lower Manhattan
available for physical sale only, inquire for price 

Untitled, 2023
charcoal and pastel on handmade paper
22 x 30 inch, 50.8 x 76.2 cm 
created in Lower Manhattan
inquire for price

THE INTERVIEW

An: Your background includes a degree in Philosophy and Political Science, as well as experience in Division I athletics. How have these experiences influenced your discipline and approach to art? 

Molly McCutcheon: Sports, specifically basketball, is a huge part of my upbringing… It taught me so much about life at a young age, I’m still processing that now more than ever since it isn’t my full time job anymore haha. I think I’ve always just had fire inside of me, I like to prove to myself that I can achieve anything I set my mind to, I think sports was that thing that first took that mindset by shape; it taught me how important it is to understand my role on a team, how to deal with an audience, how effective “locking-in” actually is and to ignore distractions and trust my instincts… There’s levels to this. As far as my studies, I have to say I was way more excited for my philosophy classes vs my political science classes in college haha… In philosophy I’m constantly questioning everything, which compliments me because I’m already a very curious person. I feel like viewing my art practice as a journaling mechanism has allowed me to let my life influence my work, internally and externally. Experimenting with my work is like trying to present a new philosophy or a fresh angle to something that is, by nature, unanswered. Poli Sci didn’t feel inspiring to me so I can’t say that I’ve recognized its influence in my art practice. 

A: Your creative process is similar to introspective journaling. Can you elaborate on how this process shapes your artwork?

MM: I think it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and forget to take the time to observe what’s going on immediately outside of us… New York City adds a whole new level to this haha, it’s beautiful though. When I was younger I was very quiet, but I’ve grown to understand I just feel things deeply. Now I try to act on what I observe and transform that energy and meaning into a message that, lately, has taken shape through charcoal and pastels. I try to put myself in predicaments where I can explore this process more, for example, traveling to Mexico and putting myself into a martial art routine, basking in the salt water every day, certain things may slow down or speed up depending on the environment but I’m always looking for that constant. It feels like my art becomes a time capsule of experience and influence this way. 

A: How do you transform reality into the surreal in your art?

MM: When I’m in the process I don’t think, I just feel. It prevents me from judging or predicting what comes next so it feels raw. When I'm in that flow state time doesn’t exist.     

A: Nature plays a significant role in your work. What do elements like sand, water, the moon, and birds symbolize to you?

MM: This is a lovely question. Each of those things bring me peace when I’m in their presence. The sand is like a hug to my muscles and body and it truly alters the energy of an environment so much. Water is just this undeniable force, I find so much stillness with it near me and I feel like I’m able to explore my emotions and mind better when I’m around it. The moon is like a mysterious woman. Birds are amazing, their songs are proven to improve our brain functionality. I also have fond memories of my dad, who is an avid bird watcher, being able to identify any bird by their appearance or sound no matter where we were and it always kinda blew my mind haha. I think flying everywhere would be cool. I especially see bird symbolism emerge in my work through multiple abstract shapes. 

A: You work with a bold palette of charcoal, yellow, and orange pastels in this exhibition. What drew you to these colors, and how do they contribute to the overall mood and message of your pieces? 

MM: The earliest piece in this exhibition, Untitled (2023), is the first time I can remember combining the usual black/white charcoal with a yellow pastel. I worked on that piece for a couple months in the Financial District last Fall soon after coming to New York, and I vividly remember feeling a lot of darker emotions emerge through it. I actually felt like the piece was too vulnerable and dark and I had it in the trash in my studio space until my gallerist friend stopped by one day and told me it was one of my best pieces she’s seen from me. I believe the six 11x14 inch pieces that were recently created in Mexico express freedom. I’ve never been able to create that many pieces of that size and caliber in a month’s time… I’m proud of them and I think that I was truly spiritually empowered while creating them, thus they are collectively some of the most colorful works of that size. The beach, muay thai, the people and their culture, the meals I was eating everyday and the music I would hear the neighbors play all contributed to that color palette as well and I can feel it when I look at the works now back in New York. 

A: What do the geometries in your work symbolize? 

MM: I think I find something fundamentally sound in geometry - using it to create and learning about it. It’s fundamental to nature and never feels forced, although sometimes it does present a nice challenge. Using charcoal, I am sometimes a perfectionist when it comes to shading and playing with light. But art is also perfectly imperfect. I can’t say that geometry symbolizes the same things in each piece of mine where it appears, but it certainly feels like a pillar to my creativity. 

A: Working primarily in physical formats, how do you translate the textures of the physical world into the digital?

MM: I take high quality scans of each piece in a room with natural and artificial lighting to best highlight the textures. This is important because it captures the artwork in mint condition, also because the physical artwork may end up in a space with many windows or a dark hallway, depending on the collector. The digital version is what you see on a screen, and we live in a digital age where you can reach new audiences through one of the many online platforms out there. My website is my own digital masterpiece, I may be biased though haha. I like novelty and sharing new ideas. I also believe artists tend to explore new terrains quicker than scientists or technologists; it’s thrill-seeking and new terrains beg for creativity, experimentation, and story-telling.

A: How did your trip to Mexico and daily Muay Thai training inspire the creation of these works?

MM: My time in Mexico added an abstract level of freedom and structure to my life that was both heart-opening and mind-expanding. For the past year since moving to NYC, my routine has been to push myself as hard as I can. It’s an extremely fast pace, but it’s New York - it is what it is. Mexico slowed me down and allowed me to reconnect with the elements of sand and water. I practiced Muay Thai everyday to discipline myself and immerse myself in an ancient art form that has shaped that culture of multiple countries. The human body is a work of art. There’s so much clarity to come from completing an intense workout and jumping in the ocean right after. I would work on my artwork in the middle of the day and again late at night when I wasn’t working out, in the ocean, or exploring the land. It’s hard to describe, but I began feeling a lot of yellow and orange energies in my life in June, and spending all of July in Mexico allowed me to fully experience and express that into my artworks.

A: How are you able to organize these solo exhibitions in NYC, and what have you gained and learned from these experiences?

MM: Holding space to bring people together is a powerful and transformative experience, and it’s essential for preserving art and culture. Shows require a lot of work, even for a one-day pop-up gallery. In the weeks leading up to it, I often feel a little crazy – but in a good way haha. You’re essentially organizing chaos, and as you progress and put on bigger, better shows, it doesn’t get less chaotic. I also believe the best way to experience physical art is by standing where the artist once stood. It reminds me of the feeling I would get on “game day” basketball: there’s a stage, an audience, the works of art, and a distinct element of time. Collaboration is key. I self-funded several events with my artwork before I pulled my first sponsor, who gave me $200 for a pop-up gallery idea. I was so excited! A couple months later, I pulled in a $600 sponsor for the same concept, just with slightly different artworks. Now I’m doing an exhibition with my biggest sponsor yet. I’ve learned that no idea or vision that I have for myself and my art is out of reach. 

A: What’s next for you?

MM: I want to travel again with similar intentions; to practice martial arts, spend time in nature, experience a new culture, and make artworks all while doing so to bring back to the city. Maybe that will be Mexico again since it is about to get cold in NYC, or maybe it will be somewhere else. I can’t always predict how my creativity will evolve but I have an interest in using other mediums to give context to my art and life, like film for example – would love to go deeper into that. I also just feel like there are so many layers to New York City that I have explored yet when it comes to art and culture, so I aim to make strides there as well! 

for all inquiries, please email info@mollymccutch.com