Michael Jones McKean
On Objects, Time, and the Fallacy of Scale
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
About the Lecture
Michael Jones McKean’s work explores the nature of objects in relation to folklore, technology, anthropology, and mysticism. His work engages an interest in deep time, timescales, and their collapse, in the process de-centering anthropocentric registrations of events, distances, and meaning. Through his working process, he challenges stable definitions, such as real and replica, natural and synthetic, fact and fiction, past and future, while employing media as diverse as ancient meteorites, primitive textiles, of-the-moment technologies, raw clay, psychotropic medicines, and prismatic rainbows.
McKean’s lecture focused on the possibility of disparate objects skidding across time, exploring “scale” and how the collapse of timescales can help re-articulate our ancient involvement with forms, materials, meaning, representation, and poetics.
About the Artist
Michael Jones McKean was born in Micronesia and now lives and works in New York City. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Nancy Graves Foundation Award, and an Artadia Award. McKean has also been awarded fellowships and residencies at The Core Program at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The MacDowell Colony, The International Studio and Curatorial Program, The Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, and the Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program.
McKean’s work has been exhibited at multiple institutions, including the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College in New York, Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, Horton Gallery in New York, The Quebec Biennale in Quebec City, Canada, The Art Foundation in Athens, Greece, Inman Gallery in Houston, Texas, Parisian Laundry in Montreal, Canada, Shenkar University in Tel Aviv, Israel, and The Contemporary Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
Learn more about McKean at michaeljonesmckean.com
Michael Jones McKean, Certain Principles of Light and Shapes Between Forms, 2012. harvested and reclaimed rainwater, 110 pound 5000 year old Campo del Cielo meteorite, conch shell from Micronesia, handmade American quilt from 1880, antique glass prism, 30 year old Bristlecone pine tree, white light emitter, photo background stands, muslin, six 10,500 gallon water storage tanks, modified downspout system, 60 horse power turbine pump, UV water filter, galvanized piping.
Courtesy of the artist.
Michael Jones McKean, The Comedy, 2014. wood, human hair, wig, resin, plastic, paint, lights, stainless steel. Courtesy of the artist.
additional rmcad community events
The artist also participated in the following events with RMCAD students, faculty, and staff:
Next Day Q+A Luncheon with Michael Jones McKean
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
RMCAD faculty, staff, and students joined the VASD Program and Michael Jones McKean for a casual Q+A session over lunch. This intimate gathering provides an opportunity to further discuss ideas presented in the previous night's lecture and a place for students to further engage with our special guest.
STUDIO VISITS WITH MICHAEL JONES MCKEAN
McKean conducted one-on-one, 30-minute studio visits on Wednesday, February 14th and Thursday, February 15th with RMCAD students.
McKean's SUGGESTED READING LIST
We ask each of our visitors to provide a list of media and materials that are connected to the visitor's work, interests, and inspirations. Items suggested by Michael Jones McKean can be found here.