MINUTIAE
plural noun,singular mi·nu·ti·a [mi-noo-shuh, -shee-uh, -nyoo-].
precise details; small or trifling matters: the minutiae of his craft.
After opening Trash Lamb Gallery in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, I have continuously struggled with finding time to create my own art amidst the hustle and responsibility of curating other artist’s work.
A departure from the intricate layering and grand compositions of my larger pieces, MINUTIAE is a collection born out of simplicity, spontaneity, and the need to cope with a particularly nasty bought of depression.
With no real expectations, these tiny collages became a form of meditation. They were meant to be trivial, precise in their detail yet simply an exercise without any agenda. After completing the first 15 pieces in the series and delving deeper into the process, a strong desire to continue creating emerged. What began as an insignificant action slowly transformed into a substantial collection of 69 tiny, original collages that were begging to be let out.
MINUTIAE invites you to get lost in the trivial details and explore the subtleties of the art, where precision meets expression, and simplicity becomes a profound statement. This exhibition is a testament to the preservation of sanity, a meticulous, yet simply crafted journey that bears witness to the beauty in the minute.
PAY ATTENTION.
(Below you’ll find a sampling of this powerful lil collection, along with a link to take you to the full online exhibition of all 69 pieces in the show)
Melody Jean Moulton
Melody Jean Moulton (b.1980) is a self-taught artist from California. While born and raised in Humboldt County, she has called San Diego home since 2002. All of her paper collage work is cut by hand and is largely intuition based. Letting go of expectations and going with her gut has proven to be her most potent path of creating.
Driven by the freedom from preconceived notions and surrendering to her instincts, Moulton's creative process unfolds organically, guided by an innate sense of exploration and discovery. Her artwork embodies a surreal and dreamlike quality, intricately weaving together disparate elements to draw you in as it invokes a sense of intriguingly wonderful confusion.
In July of 2020, amidst the height of the global pandemic, Moulton took a huge risk and left her part-time bartending gig to open Trash Lamb Gallery, an unconventionally-curated art gallery and gift shop located in the historic South Park neighborhood of San Diego. Trash Lamb Gallery is more than just a space for art; it's a sanctuary for unexpected creativity and community engagement. Featuring a diverse roster of local, national, and international artists across various genres and mediums, Trash Lamb Gallery serves as a vibrant hub for artistic expression and cultural exchange.
Moulton's artwork has garnered attention beyond the walls of Trash Lamb Gallery, with exhibitions at other esteemed venues such as La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles, La Matadora Gallery in Joshua Tree, Brassworks Gallery in Portland, and Baton Rouge Gallery in Louisiana.
Through her distinctive artistic voice and unwavering commitment to authenticity, Melody Jean Moulton continues to captivate audiences with her surreal collage art, inviting them on a journey of unusual insight and wonderfully-strange imagination.