I'm really psyched that this past semester I had the chance to attend many activities at Mills College, meet many people there, and hang out there a lot. Mills is one of those under the radar treasures of the bay area that encourages innovative forms of all types of art: visual arts, music, letters. For those of you that don't know anything about Mills, the college has nurtured the talents of many extraordinaire avant-garde composers of our time. It's an all girls liberal arts private college undergrad level and coed for higher degrees. Out of all the art and music I've seen in the bay area and in all the major cities I've lived in or traveled to, Mills exhibits, recitals, and readings always seem to be a step forward, or at least inspired by the best or underrated and interpreted beautifully. This is a great little video I found of Harry Partch conducting a student performance of his music on his instruments at Mills College in the 50s. Gem.
Michael C. McMillen is a mixed-media artist based in Santa Monica, California, whose installations and sculptures made out of recyclable materials, or as he calls them "the cast-offs of our material society," play around the themes of time, change, and illusion as a means to create what he refers to as "visual spiritual poetry." It's very interesting work with a magic of its own. The two friends I've brought with me to view his work have referred to his pieces as post-apocalyptic. I see it more as a beautiful display of decay. They had a similar eerie effect on me as when I visited a ghost town of the Gold Rush era, here in California, for the first time. Like a glimpse at the ancient ruins of the future. To fully appreciate his installations you really must experience them. You can view his work in person at an upcoming exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California from April 16, 2011 to August 14, 2011, entitled Train of Thought .