Artist Molly Vaughan in “Atonement for Imaginary Sins” which she will perform at the James Harris Gallery. (Courtesy photo)
James Harris Gallery opened its first solo exhibition with artist Molly Vaughan on Aug. 24. Vaughan is a multi-disciplinary artist who works in performance, sculpture and painting that addresses the representation of the transgender community and those who do not fall into the binary gender spectrum.
The gallery describes her work as “an investigation of the fluidity of gender and asks the viewer to see the positivity of transgender and gender diverse bodies when binary systems are questioned and deconstructed.”
On Friday, Sept. 6, Vaughan will perform the piece “Atonement for Imaginary Sins” which she debuted at the Alabama Center for Contemporary Art in 2023. The piece, which gallery owner James Harris described as intense, is roughly an hour-long and speaks out against all the “anti-LGBTQIA2S+ legislation bills pushed forward in the country since 2023” where Vaughan performs self-flagellation.
From the gallery:
Since January of 2023, more than 1,000 bills have been proposed in the USA against LGBTQIA2S+ community, the majority of which are directed at the trans community, particularly in the areas of health care, education, and important civil rights. Using a flogger created from the symbolic elements of the American flag, the artist flogs herself one time for each bill pushed forward in the country since the beginning of 2023.
Vaughan’s act of self-flagellation makes visible the emotional pain that the seemingly endless attack on the trans community generates. With each blow, the artist fortifies herself against this hate, and asserts her ability to hold firm against those who wish her harm.
Traditionally, flagellation is an act of atonement for sin, but these bills accuse the artist and her community of sins they have never committed. They are imagined and wielded against trans people who have long been social and political pawns. By taking the flogger in her own hand and striking her own body, Vaughan is denying her tormentors the privilege and satisfaction of physical harm.
The performance begins at 7 p.m. and RSVPs are required to attend. The exhibition itself runs through Oct. 19 and consists of two bodies of work.
In the front main gallery, a selection of Vaughan’s drawings along with a sculpture inspired by the late Baroque style of Rococo. Vaughan has focused on the relationship between Rococo-style and femininity and inserts transgender figures creating new perspectives. Vaughan’s most current series of work features four oil paintings on view in the second gallery.
For more information click here. To RSVP to Friday’s performance, click here.
–Rich Lopez