Kelly Moran: Under the Protection of the Skirt / Ranchland Diaries

January 03 - February 01,2025

From Koelsch Gallery: "koelsch gallery is pleased to announce Kelly Moran in Under the Protection of the Skirt / Ranchland Diaries, debuting on Friday, January 3rd, 2025. Join us for the opening reception on Saturday, January 11th, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. As an avid collector of vintage paper and objects, Kelly Moran is passionate about transforming once-forgotten entities into compelling visual narratives. Through her use of found and discarded materials, she successfully captures the social landscape of the 19th and 20th centuries. But Moran strikes farther than a simple visitation of the past – she rewrites it. Vintage imagery is recontextualized into a series of dynamic narratives, where the interiors of social convention are redecorated with personal whim, expression, and humor. Through her prolific production of mixed-media assemblages, she takes us to a world without taboo or reservation; where curiosity and exploration are encouraged. For Moran, there are no rules. By juxtaposing vintage iconography with contemporary themes, she draws parallels between the old and the new; inviting us to an open-ended reflection of where we are now and where we were then. Along with her acclaimed paper doll assemblages and collaged globes, Moran will be showcasing her Scrappy Skirt Series, initiated earlier this year during the power outages of Hurricane Beryl. In this series, skirts become symbolic structures – mountains, houses, castles – representing a place of shelter and safety. With a belief that creativity often flourishes in times of stress, Moran communicates a welcoming message through her use of paper scraps, inviting all to find refuge "under the protection of the skirt". From estate sales to eBay, she searches far and wide for particular items dating between the 1800s and 1970s. Encyclopedias, newspapers, magazines, comic books, cookbooks, medical journals, advertisements, and other paper ephemera serve as building blocks in her mixed-media creations. Despite their fleeting functions and inherent fragility, these entities have been preserved and passed down through generations. Whether it has been experienced firsthand or through the television screen, various forms of print media strike a particular resonance for many. Popular iconography from Life Magazine and National Geographic to pop culture references and pinup dolls help Moran capture the evolution of expression throughout the 1800s and 1900s. Amongst Moran's collection of tiny items are the acclaimed CrackerJack prizes. Tucked inside the packaging of the famous molasses-flavored, caramel-coated popcorn and peanuts, once existed a miscellanea of trivial toys and trinkets. From plastic figurines and charms to clocks and presidential coins, these small novelties attained status and recognition among entertainment and sports media. For many, these oddities served as childhood staples, while today they are considered collectibles. After adorning her whimsical figures with these iconic pieces, Moran encases the assemblage in a coat of resin. At the heart of Moran’s ephemera are vintage and antique paper dolls, of which she has thousands. Often considered children’s toys, paper dolls were created to advertise current fashion trends and social archetypes in mainstream media. They were first introduced to women’s magazines and newspapers in 1812 and reached the height of their popularity during the 1930s-1950s. Even during The Great Depression, paper remained unaffected by rationing and persisted as an affordable medium, paving the way for the mass production of paper dolls. As men shipped off to war and the economy called for large-scale mobilization, the very fibers of society changed as women expanded across the workforce and the U.S. military. The incorporation of broad shoulders, slacks, practical-cut skirts, sensible shoes, professional wear, and requisite military uniforms expressed the newfound strength of women in America. During World War II, these two-dimensional figures reflected the evolving roles of women and now serve as tangible symbols of this significant era.   Kelly Moran is a Houston-based artist. She draws on contemporary events, personal life, and intuition to create her well-crafted prints and assemblages. Her past training in painting, ceramics, and printmaking has contributed to her love for process-oriented work. She has a BFA in Painting from Louisiana Tech University, studied ceramics at the University of Houston's Graduate program, and studied textile and ceramics for two years in Jakarta Indonesia. Her latest body of work Under the Protection of the Skirt / Ranchland Fantasies was inspired by her recent residency in Sanquhar, Scotland, sponsored by the Kolaj Institute. Throughout her career, Moran has been involved in collaborative environments and prioritized fostering creativity and innovation in other artists. During the 1980s, she served as a member of the artist collective Little Egypt Enterprises, one of the city's most significant and longstanding collaborative art projects. From 2005 to 2011, she worked as the Associate Director of the Texas Collaborative, an organization for national and international artists to collaborate on print production; and taught Printmaking at Houston's High School for Performing and Visual Arts from 2011 to 2016. Kelly Moran's work belongs in private and public collections of various museums and corporations across the globe. For any inquiries, please contact anise@koelschgallery.com"

Reception: January 11, 2024 | 5-8 pm

koelsch gallery 1020 Peden Street
Houston, TX 77006
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