Michael C. McMillen, Train of Thought, at the Oakland Museum of California, 16 April - 14 August 2011

Southern California artist, Michael C. McMillen is an engineer of space and a visual commentator on the passage of time. Hailing from UCLA he began with works on paper and painting, but soon realized that those media were not adequate enough for his means.

His sculptures, installations and films are multi-sensory experiences momentarily enveloping and transporting the viewer from their present realities.

Early sculptures as well as work recently on view at LA Louver Gallery are architectural hybrids or transportation devices that seem to have had their day. The vessels especially evoke the passing of time and of decay. These machines were once on the cutting edge of technology, markers of the new, modern advances of man. However, as time passes the cutting edge becomes mundane, common place, and sometimes slips into the realm of the obsolete.

Now on view at the Oakland Museum of California, McMillen's artwork from the last 40 years is available to see for the first time as a complete exhibition. The exhibition includes drawing, painting, sculpture, film, as well as two large scale installations, The Pavilion of Rain, first installed in 1987, and Lighthouse, a more recent work.

Pavilion of Rain, 1987

On the eve of this important retrospective, Mr. McMillen takes a moment to answer some general questions about himself and his work.

What is your birthday and where did you grow up?

I was born in Los Angeles in 1946 and grew up in Santa Monica when it was still a blue-collar town. Lots of light manufacturing, the aerospace industry and motion picture production were big employers at the time.

What are some of your major influences or inspirations?

I initially wanted to be a scientist or inventor so followed that path into college but at a critical point had an epiphany that what I really wanted to do was to invent experiences, to tell stories in effect through the medium of art. Both of my parents were artists, so I grew up surrounded with the materials of the craft. Drawing was a common language that I learned along with writing.

What drew you to sculpture and installation art specifically?

Although I love to paint and draw, I found that three dimensional work allowed me to address more senses than a painting allowed me to. Also, I really love the physical elements of construction. In recent years I have utilized film making as a way to introduce a time based element into my work. I utilize sight, texture, scale, sound, smell and movement to transport the viewer out of their 'comfort zone' and into unexpected settings and situations. A new way of seeing, a sort of time travel.

What gives you ideas for your work? How does a new project evolve?

The ideas are constantly flowing through my head. To state the obvious, we are all affected by our time and history- but it is out of this inescapable milieu that I find the situations, stories and paradoxes that I want to share and present. A project can start with a word, phrase, image, or concept- each one is different.

Can you tell me a little bit about your working process?

My working process is fairly simple. I design the work to utilize available materials when possible. It is a combination of fabrication and assemblage work which, if done properly, produces a seamless experience for the viewer. The viewer is the last element in the process as it is they who must experience the work and finish the equation with their unique response to the object/experience. My narratives are open and are not locked into a single reading.

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In conjunction with the exhibition, a comprehensive catalog has been published by the museum in association with DelMonico Books, Prestel Publishing, New York.

Oakland Museum of California website