Molly Murphy Adams (Oglala Lakota [descendant], b 1977)
Past is Prologue 2008
Winner of the Best in Show award at the 2009 Heard Market, this tactile, exquisitely detailed cradle board weaves together elements of the artist's personal and cultural histories to explore both formal and experiential concerns. Incorporating traditional methods of making with unique contemporary materials, the work is also interactive, allowing the viewer to both reveal and hide personal family photos which are held within the centers of the beaded flowers. In her artist's statement, Adams comments, "I use the visual language of color and shape to articulate new observations on politics, history, and identity. Art is the means with which I engage with the weight of both my past and my potential, one stitch at a time."
