Rouse the Rabbles is a site specific installation by Mollie Thonneson for Gallery Aferro’s Activate: Market Street 12
The Woman’s March on Washington and the parallel marches held throughout the world were a phenomenal success in demonstrating millions of women’s collective passion for the whole of humanity. Spring boarding from the event’s organic moniker, Pussy Power, Thonneson examines the relationship between fragility and strength within the context of femininity and the individual-versus-collective conversation. To highlight the delicate and temporary nature of life Thonneson finds a metaphor in swarms of butterflies also known as rabbles. Her sewn fabric forms are undeniably female and they reference work traditionally done by women. Thonneson’s interest in systems and processes of repetition have been influenced by her experiences working in sweat shops and running her own factories. By reproducing and presenting hundreds of similar yet unique shapes in flight, Thonneson hopes to express and honor the awe inspiring power of individuals uniting.
Mollie Thonneson has had a lifelong career exploring painting, sculpture, and fiber arts. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally. Thonneson is the inventor of TAG the Art Game, a cooperative game where players work together to create an abstract piece of art. The game has won numerous awards within the toy and special-needs market and was recently sold to a larger company. Thonneson and her late husband, Joseph Franklin, owned and operated an interior accessories business which specialized in metal patinas until his death in 2002. Thonneson earned her BFA at New Jersey City University in 2012 and studied commercial Illustration at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. She currently lives and works in Jersey City, NJ with her teenage daughter and her partner, painter Alan Walker.
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