Having just re-released True, exclusively with OC, we asked Solange to interview her friend and collaborator Mickalene Thomas—the artist responsible for the EP's beautiful cover art. Read on to learn about their collaborative processes, their families, and which songs Solange needs to play at Mickalene's upcoming Party on the Harbor at The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston.
Solange Knowles: First off, congratulations on the ICA show in Boston! What portion of your work does this show represent?
Mickalene Thomas: Thank you! This is the first time I’ve exhibited work in Boston and it’s really nice to be at such a prominent institution. The works for this exhibition are drawn from both my interiors and portraiture bodies of work and date from 2008 to 2013. In some ways, I was thinking of this show as a more narrowly focused extension of my recent show at Brooklyn Museum. The ICA has also featured screenings of my documentary film, Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman, and it has been great showing this in a different venue and on a larger screen.
I’ll be DJing at the ICA party! I’ve DJed a party for you before and have you over for house parties; you really know how to get down! What are some songs you want to hear? I want to make sure you are dancing!
That’s cool! I wish I could be at the ICA party! I get down at your parties because I like to dance and you throw a nice party! Well, I think that the ICA party deserves a little Millie Jackson, then bring it down slow with some Ashford & Simpson, and then bring it back up with some Betty Davis! Don’t hurt them too much, just make their feet bleed!
As you know, I'm a HUGE fan and proud owner of your work. Collaborating with an artist who has inspired me in such an impactful way has been a dream come true (no pun intended). What is it about the spirit of collaborating that interests you as an artist?
I feel the same way! It has been such an unusually inspirational experience working with you. I am always excited for such an opportunity because, as a creative person, collaborating allows me to explore ideas that might not come to fruition independently. Collaborating acts as a catalyst for growth and it pushes me in directions I can’t anticipate. It takes a lot of effort from both parties to relinquish complete control and when that happens, the magic begins and the results are off the chain.
I’m completely in love with the cover art for this new edition of True! After seeing your Brooklyn Museum show (three times, might I add), I became really connected to your collages. What was the process behind creating it?
Making collages is the part of my studio practice that I enjoy the most, so it makes me feel so good when people connect with them. I start by photographing my subject in an interior space installed in my studio or at a site-specific installation, like yours, which was shot at Lehmann Maupin gallery. After printing the photographs, I pick a few that have interesting compositions and expressions so that I have more than one image to start working on. I then recompose the photographs with other materials, such as Color-aid, vintage wallpaper, and even old drawings from my student days. I build a collage with an eye for varying scale, texture, and color.
Your use of color, patterns and textures is like no other! Do you
Solange Knowles: First off, congratulations on the ICA show in Boston! What portion of your work does this show represent?
Mickalene Thomas: Thank you! This is the first time I’ve exhibited work in Boston and it’s really nice to be at such a prominent institution. The works for this exhibition are drawn from both my interiors and portraiture bodies of work and date from 2008 to 2013. In some ways, I was thinking of this show as a more narrowly focused extension of my recent show at Brooklyn Museum. The ICA has also featured screenings of my documentary film, Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman, and it has been great showing this in a different venue and on a larger screen.
I’ll be DJing at the ICA party! I’ve DJed a party for you before and have you over for house parties; you really know how to get down! What are some songs you want to hear? I want to make sure you are dancing!
That’s cool! I wish I could be at the ICA party! I get down at your parties because I like to dance and you throw a nice party! Well, I think that the ICA party deserves a little Millie Jackson, then bring it down slow with some Ashford & Simpson, and then bring it back up with some Betty Davis! Don’t hurt them too much, just make their feet bleed!
As you know, I'm a HUGE fan and proud owner of your work. Collaborating with an artist who has inspired me in such an impactful way has been a dream come true (no pun intended). What is it about the spirit of collaborating that interests you as an artist?
I feel the same way! It has been such an unusually inspirational experience working with you. I am always excited for such an opportunity because, as a creative person, collaborating allows me to explore ideas that might not come to fruition independently. Collaborating acts as a catalyst for growth and it pushes me in directions I can’t anticipate. It takes a lot of effort from both parties to relinquish complete control and when that happens, the magic begins and the results are off the chain.
I’m completely in love with the cover art for this new edition of True! After seeing your Brooklyn Museum show (three times, might I add), I became really connected to your collages. What was the process behind creating it?
Making collages is the part of my studio practice that I enjoy the most, so it makes me feel so good when people connect with them. I start by photographing my subject in an interior space installed in my studio or at a site-specific installation, like yours, which was shot at Lehmann Maupin gallery. After printing the photographs, I pick a few that have interesting compositions and expressions so that I have more than one image to start working on. I then recompose the photographs with other materials, such as Color-aid, vintage wallpaper, and even old drawings from my student days. I build a collage with an eye for varying scale, texture, and color.
Your use of color, patterns and textures is like no other! Do you