Mickey Lee

BIO

A little bit about my background- I was born and raised in Forest Grove Oregon. I'm a first-generation college student and was raised by a single father. I received my BFA at the University of Oregon and went on to receive my MFA at UC Berkeley.

I can't remember if there was ever a time I decided to devote myself to art. It has always just been there inside of me. These animals... the women I paint..it is like they've always lived inside me. When I finally accepted this things started to make a little more sense.

I started to develop essential tremors when I was 20. At first, it was awful. Now I can't imagine painting without them. They give life to my work and allow me to surrender to the lack of control I have over my hands.

STATEMENT

My nature as an artist is something like longing to feel at home. Works are just temporary shelters and painting is a happy place where I can conceal myself. Home, the lack of thereof, fertility, motherhood, lust, desire, and melancholy underscore my work.

I give my hands and heart to make a place where life blossoms in the shape of a pregnant woman and the animals are there to guide her into motherhood.

Interview with Mickey Lee

Written by Andreana Donahue

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you became interested in becoming an artist? What were some early influences?

I grew up in rural Oregon with my father, who is a woodworker. From an early age I knew I wanted to work with my hands. My dad worked a lot, so to keep me entertained he would give me his old brushes and house paints, scrap paper, note pads, anything to keep my hands busy. Picking up a paint brush came naturally.

I guess I was never really interested in being an "artist," I didn't have a lot of those to look up to in my small town. Instead, I took inspiration from craft, handiwork, even the farmers and loggers in the community. I'd spend summers at my grandmother's house. She was a Mexican immigrant. She was hard working. She had nine children, her life was conditioned by maternity. She could create the most beautiful home fabricated in vibrant smells and colors from almost nothing. To me, she was an artist.

These were my earliest influences.

Where are you currently based and what initially attracted you to working in this community? Are there any aspects of this specific place that have surfaced in your work?

I live in Los Angeles, California. I moved here in search of another artist, who ended up leaving shortly after I arrived. I stayed because it was warm.

Can you tell us about your studio space? What are some of the most crucial aspects of a studio that make it workable for you?

Right now I am working out of my home in Laurel Canyon. I'm very lucky to be surrounded by so much green. I love it here.

My last studio was down town in the produce district... I really loved it too.

I can work anywhere really, I'm adaptable.

What is a typical day like?

Every day is different I suppose, but one thing that stays the same is chatting with my dad. I call him everyday.

What gets you in a creative groove? What puts a damper on your groove?

Alone time. I am most productive when I am alone. It is difficult for me to stop in the middle of something, that really throws me off.

What criteria do you follow for selecting materials? Do you prefer to maintain a narrow focus or work across diverse media? How do you navigate the limitations and possibilities that result from this path?

I use the same type of acrylics, often the same colors too. Thick, heavy, and saturated constitutes my criteria.

I also like house paint.

I sort of just stick to what I know.

Can you walk us through your overall process? How would you describe your approach to manipulating materials? What about decision-making and editing?

Tough question! I really don't know how to answer this. There must be a formula to it, the process, but none that I can articulate very well.

I have idiosyncratic working methods.

Large swashes of paint, working in the figures, more paint, more figures... it is only after significant revisions that the painting starts to come together.

I don't think I manipulate materials on purpose or with any real intention, a lot of it has to do with accidents due to my tremors.

There are a lot of layers, and a lot of changes and additions throughout the process.

... but I know when a painting is finished when there is nothing left to take away from it.

Can you talk about some of the ongoing interests, imagery, and concepts that have informed your process and body of work over time? How do you anticipate your work progressing in the future?

Growing up in rural Oregon has always informed the imagery within my work. Home, the lack of thereof, fertility, motherhood, lust, desire and melancholy are concepts I often explore, and have developed as well.

A fixation on the corporeal realm has always been there.

I am interested in whatever is present in my current day to day. Whether it is a trip to down town, watching the movie Rocky, or even visiting a Butcher shop. I've become more and more comfortable within the mundane, and I think this will start to show in my work.

I anticipate Rocky making an appearance in my future paintings. It is my favorite movie.

Do you pursue any collaborations, projects, or careers in addition to your studio practice? If so, can you tell us more about those projects, and are there connections between your studio practice and these endeavors?

I trained as a Doula, but that was on hold for quite some time due to the pandemic. Prior to Covid, I taught Art History.

As a result of the pandemic, many artists have experienced limited access to their studios or loss of exhibitions, income, or other opportunities. Has your way of working (or not working) shifted significantly during this time? Are there unexpected insights or particular challenges you’ve experienced?

Of course it has. The past year was... disheartening. It was very confusing at times too. There were moments of reflection though, and for that I am grateful. I had creative bursts where I produced a lot of work, and I've had stagnant periods where I felt completely useless.

There was no great discovery, I simply just made it through in one piece.

In a time that seems to be marked by uncertainty, collective anxiety, and increasing social unrest, why do you think the perspectives and contributions of artists remain meaningful? Do you feel a natural relationship exists between your work (or the role artists play more broadly) and confronting established systems—of power, cultural institutions, or otherwise?

My women, undulating throughout the canvas flanked with swelling breasts and bellies naturally threaten the contained space of a room in a field dominated by men. What is most regulated in any culture is the body, but especially women’s bodies. My work if heavily inspired by the grotesque, a means to confront these established systems of power.

Ultimately, women creating, is in itself, an intervention.

Can you share some of your recent influences? Are there specific works—from visual art, literature, film, or music—that are important to you?

Lately, I have fallen in love with red. At the moment, I seem to be using it in every painting. It has just felt the most comforting.

Rocky Balboa and Simone De Beauvoir are two I have been fixated with most as of late.

Who are some contemporary artists you’re excited about? What are the best exhibitions you’ve seen in recent memory?

Danny Fox, Chase Hall, Henry Taylor, Ruby Rose Neri.. among a long list of others.

I saw the Amy Sherald exhibition at Hauser & Wirth not too long ago. I was left in complete awe. Her work is ethereal.

Do you have any tips or advice that someone has shared with you that you have found particularly helpful?

"Keep going"

What are you working on in the studio right now? What’s coming up next for you?

Paintings. More paintings.

Anything else you would like to share?

Thank you for having me <3

To find out more about Mickey Lee check out her Instagram and website.