Interview
Molly Odom Magill
Molly is an artist living in Dallas, Texas. After 17 years as a marketing executive for several large national retail headquarters, Molly left the corporate world and started Cliff and Callahan, her multi-disciplinary art studio.
This studio work is connected to an intersection of things — old and new, soft and bold, easy and difficult, simple and complex, rural and urban. Molly’s work is forever influenced by her upbringing in West Texas, mixed with her life living and raising her kids in Dallas for over 15 years.
Molly’s ability to embrace the circumstances that brought her to where she is — no matter how unexpected or imperfect the path— is what drives her work. Connecting Molly’s past in Callahan County with her present in Oak Cliff, from which the name of the studio is derived, come together in all the ways of the work to help her embrace her authentic expressions of life.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I come from a family of creative people for generations. I grew up in West Texas where the people are practical people. West Texans are also traditional in their outward professions — merchants, teachers, politicians, bankers, ranchers — while in fact they were truly writers, musicians, poets, and visual artists, though they were never so presumptuous as to declare that.
That was the same for me early in my career. I went to a design college where I learned the basics in drawing and painting. I’ve always used visuals to express myself, but since I didn't come out with a BFA, I didn't accept myself as an artist. I spent 17 years climbing the corporate ladder in marketing and PR, to some frustrating success. But when I lost my job in a reorganization in 2018, I knew it was time to create a studio. I never looked back. I painted at first to process my ‘lost’ career. I've painted almost everyday since and confidently call myself an artist at last.”
What inspires you?
“Places, West Texas in particular. But really, any place, person or moment that is real; where you might search for beauty in the traditional sense. Beauty that might not fit the common mold. Something or someone with honesty, intensity and color.”
“My hope is that my work helps us embrace who we are and where we come from. To see beauty in our paths, and in both our triumphs and our mistakes. To see the whole as beautiful and honest, and to embrace, not just the easy moments but the difficult or unexpected ones that make the whole more interesting.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Colorists always influence and impact my work very specifically, Milton Avery, Helen Frankenthaler, and Clyfford Still especially. Fearless powerhouse sculptor Phyllida Barlow, and even regionalists like Andrew Wyeth and Grant Wood are not overtly seen as influencers to me, but they’re always in the ether.”
What is your creative process like?
“I often have something I’m thinking about. A place most times, but also a feeling or reaction. That’s as much planning as I can do before the paint hits the canvas. After that, it's all a feeling. I have to work it out on the canvas, which is why my work typically has many layers. They help tell the story.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I believe that in our best moments, we must force a conversation. Push a question to be answered. Reflect a moment, no matter how difficult. But also, I'm not a purist. It's okay to show beauty. To allow gut reactions that can be pleasing, just as often as they can be difficult. The conversations around why, in both instances, are equally rich.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I’m really proud of the show last fall at ArtRoom, Fort Worth - Between Now and Then. And very excited about an upcoming show at Neighborhood in the Design District, happening in March with some wonderful fellow artists.”
All images courtesy of Kelly Christine Sutton (@kellychristinephoto).
Website: www.cliffandcallahan.com
Instagram: @cliffandcallahan
