Troubled thoughts was created during ‘the Troubles’ to give audibility to the female voice. A voice which was largely excluded from Media representations of ‘the Troubles’ in Northern Ireland, at the time. Acknowledging cultural diversity as well as religious differences, women from all sides of the community were invited to contribute to the body of work by adding their voices to the dialogue. An audio soundscape of personal stories, twenty-one identically constructed portraits of the participants sat alongside carefully selected text that responds to self-imposed and adversary labelling. With the aim of challenging preconceived assumptions, obvious visual symbolism and iconographies are avoided. Specific indicators to locate participant speakers politically, religiously, culturally and geographically are absent. Troubled Thoughts offers a human insight into the complexity of communities in conflict.
It was created in response to Molloy’s own Irish heritage, made whilst on residency at Flaxart Studios in Belfast Northern Ireland, during ‘the Troubles.’ 1998 It was exhibited as a solo exhibition,with a series of workshops, at the Old Museum Art Centre on International Womens Day. In addition, the body of work was selected as part of the Troubles exhibition Spirits Square Centre, Charlotte North Carolina, USA (1998) and exhibited as a Solo exhibition as part of the Women in Focus exhibition at the Kingsgate Gallery, London (1999).
This video clip made for BBC Knowledge (BBC 4) discusses Troubled Thoughts
Freedom-Fighter . Orangies . Wife . Taig . Protestant . Anglo-Irish . Victim . Mother . Catholic . Unionist . United-Irish . Alcoholic . Community Activist . Volunteer . Prisoner . Christian . House-wife . British . Murderer . Volunteer . Republican . Daughter . Fenian . Student . Worker . Irish . Sectarian . Nationalist . Woman.
Troubled thoughts was funded by Belfast City Council and Northern Ireland Arts. Further support from Camden Council celebrating diversity in the community and Falmouth College of Art Research Award enabled the catalogue production. Troubled Thoughts was featured in Source Magazine issue 4.