1. How long have you been in Atlanta? What brought you here?
I gained my Independence from small town Alabama in 1999. There were a lot of people who believed in me so I to had to at least try to become an artist. Plus, there weren't many options for me in Alabama. I didn't want to have to wonder “ what if ” or work in factory. Now those jobs have moved to other countries.
2. Did you go to art school? Do you have any degrees?
I went to a four year University with a great art program. My goal was to go out west and snow board for the rest of my life. School was not in my plans. My folks couldn't afford art school and I had no idea about portfolios or scholarships. I did have a catalog from Atlanta College of Art that I would look through and dream about going. It didn't happen. My good friend Paul S. Benjamin is trying to get me to go for a MFA. I am all for education and learning. I do Masters level of research on my own he says, that’s why I need to go. The head of the Department at my University, Dr. Walters pulled me aside once and said she thought that I had the power and drive to get my Masters from Yale and that I could be Dr. Michi if I wanted to. I still might.
3. Tell us how you got your start as a working artist.
It was all a dream
I used to read Word Up magazine
Salt'n'Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine
Hangin' pictures on my wall
Every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl
I let my tape rock 'til my tape popped..
I began working in church as a kid. Paper and pencil help me sit through church. My Mom would buy me big packs of copier paper for sketchbooks, so I always had materials. I did art in Middle School; I drew the lunch menus and did bulletin boards. I watched the TV show Good Times and that helped keep me interested in art. That was my intro to art history.
At the same time Hip-Hop was blowing up and I found myself writing my name on things around school and town. I take Hip Hop culture serious. I had heard of Jean Michel as a kid. My mom made sure I knew about things that related to my interest. In high school I took art even more serious. I turned my bedroom into this make shift studio using my dresser drawers for easels. I had the first-ever senior show in the library. My Mom brought me here to Atlanta once to see Matisse , but I spent my time picking apart the little Basquiat they have at the HIGH. We both sorta laughed at Matisse, but in a good way. We played a game to see who could touch the most Matisses. My first year of College I sold two big pieces of work at the local museum Kennedy Douglas Art Museum. I hung the check on my parent’s fridge for weeks. My Dad couldn't believe it. Making that amount of money as a 18 year old painting in his bedroom? From that moment, I never looked back.
I failed painting in college. Straight D’s. The professor was a Impressionist of sorts or that 60’s bullshit, I was more a hard line graphic type, product of “First Gen MTV ”. I wrote on canvases back then too. He said it’s too illustrative. He was not having it. I kick my easel over and told him to paint it if he didn't like it...The result D’s every year. I wrote a paper called “My Two Cents” It was about how I didn't feel challenged and I felt I wasn't learning. Professors hate that sort of thing. Guess I was a problem. That's when the head of the Department at my University, Dr. Walters, pulled me aside.
At the same time Hip-Hop was blowing up and I found myself writing my name on things around school and town. I take Hip Hop culture serious. I had heard of Jean Michel as a kid. My mom made sure I knew about things that related to my interest. In high school I took art even more serious. I turned my bedroom into this make shift studio using my dresser drawers for easels. I had the first-ever senior show in the library. My Mom brought me here to Atlanta once to see Matisse , but I spent my time picking apart the little Basquiat they have at the HIGH. We both sorta laughed at Matisse, but in a good way. We played a game to see who could touch the most Matisses. My first year of College I sold two big pieces of work at the local museum Kennedy Douglas Art Museum. I hung the check on my parent’s fridge for weeks. My Dad couldn't believe it. Making that amount of money as a 18 year old painting in his bedroom? From that moment, I never looked back.
I failed painting in college. Straight D’s. The professor was a Impressionist of sorts or that 60’s bullshit, I was more a hard line graphic type, product of “First Gen MTV ”. I wrote on canvases back then too. He said it’s too illustrative. He was not having it. I kick my easel over and told him to paint it if he didn't like it...The result D’s every year. I wrote a paper called “My Two Cents” It was about how I didn't feel challenged and I felt I wasn't learning. Professors hate that sort of thing. Guess I was a problem. That's when the head of the Department at my University, Dr. Walters, pulled me aside.
After failing, I was like, screw painting. I went hard into graphic design and ceramics. Art history became easy too. I didn't view ceramics as “craft” though. Peter Voulkos and Don Rietz were my heroes. I admired the way they blurred the lines between craft and the fine art sculpture. Scale and Destruction is my jam and Voulkos had it. I can throw 10 to 50 lbs on a potters wheel no problem. A lot of my aesthetic choices came from him. He is still in my studio. That Professor gave me a lot of freedom and room to grow. I produced over 500 piece that semester. So from that to now. Well, that’s the nostalgic version, minus the ups and downs and rejection letters and crazy stunts I pulled when I got to Atlanta. Like once, I wrote Benjamin Jones name on my work. It was meant to be a graphic element like a shout out. You should have heard Marianne Lambert yelling, ”Who is signing my artist name!!!!” -but from that I got a show.
4. What are you working on in your studio now?
I’m slowing down(not really)to focus more, right now. Really trying to understand my message and work. I was a gunslinger before just shooting bullets hoping for a kill, now i make my shots count. Sometimes I sit in my rocking chair and rock for 2 hours before I attempt anything. I may rock the stereo at top volume rock in my chair and go home. I'm just working within my history, developing my own philosophies, myths, and magic. I'm doing a lot of fishing and exploring how that relates to my practice. Which has driven me to think of nature as another possible work space. “Street art” has become to popular trendy like Internet one ups not thoughtful, and has lost its mystery. I'm on some I'm not Bruce Nauman type street heavy duty tough thought. My cotton machine will be done in the late summer in time for harvest. I made skillets float.
I don’t really know. I feel like we are out here alone, like orphans of an art world that doesn't care to look in our direction. Few will get adopted, most won’t. The Wild West, where there are no rules. Sometimes, I don't think the scene cares. Atlanta has the potential and talent to host its own biennials, but it’s to busy trying to by like something its not.
6. What is the role of an artist in society? How do you see your role in this way?
I just realized recently just how special artist are. The power of an idea is amazing. Just think we can exist inside someone’s idea. Like seeing a glimpse of their spirit, mental capacity and tasting their blood, sweat, and tears. This is some powerful shit. I think it changes our cells and hits our emotions. That's why I can’t get with artist who make work and remove themselves from the work. I think the artist role is to inspire, challenge, change, and question the world we live in. We need the space and freedom to invent. I want my work to challenge the viewer and effect culture.
7. What is the job of Art?
The Job of art is to just be. I don't think that it needs to be so specific. It’s like one of those simple philosophical questions that relies on the perspective of the viewer. Art might be one of the 99%
8. Does Atlanta have a specific role to play for Art/ Artists?
Atlanta is what it is. Looking at it historically its still the same. Even where people live in Zones when it was first developed. Atlanta could be seen in my exhibition title Comfort Kills Pursuit. Tradition and the idea of it is helpful and limiting at the same. I think this is some of what my work is about.
9. Do you have any advice for younger artists?
Want to exist in your creative process more than you want to breathe.
Basically, dedicating yourself to practice.
Basically, dedicating yourself to practice.
http://michimeko.com/b
