In the Artist’s Words: Molly Jae Vaughan

Seattle-based artist Molly Jae Vaughan’s After Boucher: Untitled (2022) is on view at the Frye as part of the Boren Banner Series through April 16, 2023. In this interview, she reflects on the ongoing series After Boucher in conversation with her wider interdisciplinary practice, as well as the importance of visual representation of trans bodies, particularly in the context of a public artwork.

Photograph of Molly Jae Vaughan's "Untitled: After Boucher" installed on the eastern facade of the Frye Art Museum

Molly Jae Vaughan. After Boucher: Untitled, 2022. Digital print on vinyl. 16 x 20 ft. Courtesy of the artist. Installation view from Boren Banner Series: Molly Jae Vaughan, Frye Art Museum, October 22, 2022–April 16, 2023. Photo: Jueqian Fang

Photograph of 3 people performing a memorial art piece titled "Tyra Trent, 3300 block of Virginia Ave., Baltimore" by Molly Jae Vaughan

Molly Jae Vaughan. Tyra Trent, 3300 block of Virginia Ave., Baltimore, MD, 2018. Inkjet printed textiles, silkscreen fabric, tulle, cotton, faux leather, antler, and bells. 70 x 40 x 96 inches. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Eva Broekema

This image documents a Memorial Action for Tyra Trent activated by Matty Wang accompanied by two Guardians at Eusebius Church, Arnheim, Netherlands at the 2022 State of Fashion: Ways of Caring biennial.

Photograph of Molly Jae Vaughan activating her installation "Safety in Numbers" which features many textiles, dried flowers, and found objects.

Molly Jae Vaughan. Safety in Numbers, 2022. Inkjet Printed Fabrics, Found Fabrics, Found Ceramic Objects, Hair, Brass Flag Pole, Dried Flowers, Ribbon, Wooden Mirrors, Salon Chairs, LED Lights, and Bells. Dimensions variable. Commissioned by MadArt Studios, Seattle, WA and courtesy of the artist. Photo: Matt Burke

Painting by Molly Jae Vaughan of a hand holding a compact mirror between the subject's legs reflecting the subject's vagina

Molly Jae Vaughan. My Transsexual Vagina (Recovery #2), 2022. Oil on Linen. 20 x 16 inches. Courtesy the artist.