Mollie McKinley: Accumulated Ether

Join us for Mollie's ARTIST TALK on May 4th from 7-8 PM!

Mollie McKinley is an ecological mystic, whose work is grounded in post-humanist approaches towards nature and metaphysical inquiry. Combining materials of blown glass, carved salt, neon, stained glass, and sculptural photography, the work re-centers the consciousness of the elements by inviting romantic connection with their various phenomena. Especially amidst ecosystems threatened by climate change, this intimacy is a path towards collectively healing the earth-body—and potentially the human body as well. 

McKinley’s installation at UrbanGlass activates the windows with works that hold a tension between the visceral and the ethereal. In alchemy, this tension is often found in the dissolution and coagulation cycle. Ether accumulates into an apparition; an entity; a density. This thickness materializes as waterfall froth, fossilized algae, erosions of minerality, and glowing translucence forged in fire. These phenomena are presented as tangible entities hovering as a mirror to our own bodies, gateways into tender re-enchantment with a chronically ill ecological system. 

About the Artist-

Mollie McKinley is an interdisciplinary artist whose work translates invisible healing processes through the visceral phenomena of nature. She unites the ecological health of the earth with the health of human bodies through symbols of contemporary medicine, such as infusions. She combines materials such as salt, glass, neon, and photographs on textiles in collaboration with these elemental intelligences. Her work has been shown at Fridman Gallery, NADA, Pioneer Works, Independent Curators International, The Museum of Arts and Design, Momenta Art, Field Projects, Anthology Film Archives, and others. She was awarded a fellowship in glass at Wheaton Arts in 2018. McKinley holds a BA in photography from Bard College, and an MFA in sculpture/dimensional studies from Alfred University. Her works are held in private collections, as well as the permanent collection of the Samuel Dorsky Museum at SUNY New Paltz. 

Event Images

Class Schedule

• March 29th – May 19th, 2023