Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Milliken.
Hi Morgan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I can remember jumping out of bed every Saturday morning to run and set up my easel so that I could follow along with Bob Ross in real time. I remember wanting to draw everything I saw; documenting my outfits, bugs I saw at school, my friends, even the food we ate. Capturing my life was always something I seemed to want to do.
Growing up and learning about other artists was a huge part of where I’m at now. I saw how artists of the pop art movement became historians, documenting their life and the world around them and I simply couldn’t get enough. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend college and learn even more about those and other artists while expanding my own style as a result. I’ve always had so much encouragement from my family, friends, and teachers, and couldn’t imagine being where I am now without all of those people.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
If I’m to be completely honest, my personal art journey so far has been a wonderful road of growth and exploration. I can say the most daunting and discouraging thing will always be rejections- whether that’s residencies, internships, exhibitions, being told no isn’t a fantastic feeling. However, I think any creative will tell you that rejections are what make them better; it’s the thing that will give us a reason to pause and question what we’re making, why we’re making it, and if it’s the best it can be. There will always be room for improvement and hard times are what give you the chance to learn more about yourself.
Art aside, life hasn’t been the easiest, no one’s ever is. In my later childhood years my family went through some rocky times- health issues and a halt in any normalcy my life had had up to that point. Those several years caused me to grow up very quickly. Learning to take care of and occupy myself when others couldn’t. At times it felt like my childhood had been taken away a bit early; the real world coming too soon. But that’s why I create what I create now. I take the things that made my inner child happy and morph them into works I think little me would be proud of.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work is a collection of my own ideas about my life and the world I live in. Most of my pieces have elements from my childhood mingling with aspects of my current life, the state of the world, political climate, etc. I find that regardless of the idea I’m striving to display, I’m only able to do it successfully with an aspect of my younger self present. Most of the time those things would be food, as that’s such a big part of our existence and how we perceive the world; but I’ve recently been implementing more “out of place” items in my work as well. I plan on experimenting with many different subject matters, as I’m only just getting started, but in the end, I’ll always bring it back to food.
Most of my work is done through painting, specifically oil and the occasional acrylic. I love the freedom I have to manipulate the paint, the colors, and the subject. As much of a tech savvy world as we live in today, it’s not necessarily my cup of tea, so I like to think of painting as my own form of photoshop. I not only work with paint, but found a love for printmaking during my college courses as well. Similar to painting, I love the hands on aspect of the work; carving, inking, and printing all by hand. Mediums like these that allow me to keep that personal touch will always be my favorite.
I’ve created quite a bit work in my journey so far, a lot of which will never see the light of day, but I think I’m the most proud of my piece titled “Blue Collar Breakfast.” It’s my largest and most challenging piece to date at 48″x 96″, and far too many pixels to count. I created that piece as a dual idea- one being the work life balance and the potential illusion of a support system given the technological, AI heavy society we live in; working hard to provide for a life that doesn’t really exist. This piece also acts as an homage to my grandfather who passed in 2023, highlighting aspects of his career and the activities I spent my childhood doing with him. As long as I continue to create work that possesses ideas and aspects that are true to me and which allow me to connect with others, I will be proud of my work as an artist.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’m not a big podcast person, but I absolutely love reading. I keep audiobooks going in the studio, and any time I’m not working I’m definitely reading. I keep a steady supply of all the genres; literary fiction is a big one for me as it allows me to see into other peoples worlds and see how they may overlap with mine. I also always keep a steady supply of children’s books on hand, especially books from my childhood- seeing the illustrations in them reminds me of the little girl who dreamed of being an artist and gives me that extra push to keep moving forward.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganmillmedia
