Who are you, Where are you from and How did you get here?
Hello! My name is Millie. I’m originally from Devon in the UK, but I found my way to Amsterdam five years ago to study at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Connection is at the heart of my practice, I love creating works that forge a connection with you, the audience. Whether it’s a live performance, a wearable artwork, or a kinetic sculpture, interactivity lies at the core, and more specifically, interaction that is joyful and playful.
What was the inspiration for this project and how did you come to a Kaleidoscope?
For this sculpture, I drew much of my inspiration from kinetic artist Jean Tinguely, whose inventive mechanisms bring his works to life. His influence, together with the bold, colourful, and graphic world world of my all-time favourite artist, Niki de Saint Phalle, played a key role in the making of Kaleidoscope Waltz.
Méta-mécanique by Jean Tinguely
What did the process of making Kaleidoscope Waltz look like?
This was my first time making a motorised, mechanical work, and the process was a learning experience. I usually work quite intuitively, yet in making Kaleidoscope Waltz, I embraced a more technical approach that revealed a new avenue in my practice and expanded the creative possibilities within kinetic art. It’s always been a desire of mine to bring my works to life, to make something that lives its own life and has its own soul. Creating this piece for such a dynamic space as Canvas felt especially fitting, allowing the sculpture to mirror the space’s vibrant energy through colour and motion.
What does your creative process look like?
When an idea comes from my own fascination, there’s usually already an image in my mind, so I immediately start sketching. For commissions, I like to research the subject first so I can give it my own interpretation. I usually make a few tiny sketches on paper using a very soft pencil. These first sketches are very messy; I’m only concerned with the content and composition at this stage. Once I’m happy with a small sketch, I make a larger version, still with pencil on paper. Recently, I’ve started coloring the illustrations with colored pencils instead of finishing them digitally, like I used to. I enjoy returning to a more analog way of working. It helps me lose track of time in a very nice way.
What themes or ideas are you interested in exploring next?
Looking to the future, I hope to engage in collaborative projects and create work that is more deeply inspired by and connected to nature. I’d love to find ways art can facilitate interaction between people and their natural environments, helping regrow that connection.
Kaleidoscope Waltz is kaleidoscoping in Canvas, so be sure to swing by sometime soon and take a look
www.volkshotel.nl/canvas
Follow Millie on: @millievanradish
