Mila Pierce Leaves a Lot Of Room for the Viewer’s Imagination
“A painting is not a picture of an experience, but is the experience.” Most treasured phrase by Mark Rothko that artist Mila Pierce holds so dear to her heart.
INTERVIEW WITH THE ARTIST MILA PIERCE
Artist MILA PIERCE
From the artist’s archives
LES COULEURS: What is your dream project?
MILA PIERCE: My dream project would be to build an installation that would create an immersive experience at large public or institutional space such as the Guggenheim Museum. Such an undertaking would be a dream come true.
LC: Name three artists you would like to be compared to.
MP: To be honest, I wouldn’t want to be compared to any artist, but the artists I admire and take inspiration from are Mark Rothko, Eva Hesse, Yayoi Kusama. These artists are colossi of art history and I would never dream of comparing myself to such luminaries. But maybe one day I’ll be more comfortable with comparisons to such monumental figures so who knows . . .
LC: If you could work within a past art movement, which would it be?
MP: Without a doubt, I’d want to work within the post-war Abstract Impressionism movement in New York. What a time that was… an explosion of new ideas and fresh perspectives on what art is. I imagine it was an amazing time to be alive and be creating art.
LC: Which artist of the past would you most like to meet?
MP: Eva Hesse without a doubt. I would have so many questions for her. Recently, I watched a documentary about Eva’s life and found her achievements incredibly impressive, not only the immense quantity of work she produced but her strength and devotion to her art too. The aspect I found to be most fascinating was how she found her artistic identity. I admire her greatly.
LC: Who are your biggest influences?
MP: As I mentioned before, Mark Rothko has been an enormous influence on me and I’ll be forever mesmerized by his paintings and ideas. My belief is that there is a spiritual connection between the artist’s creation and the beholder of that work. One Mark Rothko quote that resonates deeply with me is “A painting is not a picture of an experience, but is the experience.”
LC: What does your work aim to say?
MP: My work doesn’t aim to say anything specific as such. Indeed, I would say that the objective is to achieve the opposite, to give freedom to the observer to think and reflect so that they might form their own opinion rather than suffer the imposition of mine. My personality is not one that is comfortable in forcing views upon others.
MILA PIERCE
From the artist’s archives
LC: What themes do you pursue?
MP: My themes are always those concerning humanity’s journey through life, society, and the equality (or lack of) within it. Such issues often preoccupy my mind and spill into my work which isn’t something I can help. Pablo Picasso once said, “Painting is just another way of keeping a diary” and for myself, this is certainly the case.
LC: Why do you love what you do?
MP: The creative process is therapeutic for me, a way to express and leave a record of my thoughts and ideas. My linguistic skills are somewhat lacking in comparison to my artistic ones but were this not the case, there’s no doubt in my mind that I would be a poet. Instead, I was drawn to a world of painting and brushes all my life, which I always saw as a romantic way to exist, to be able to express myself in colors, to live a life and a way to escape life, the real world. It is a fantastic feeling this why I love it.
LC: What are you working on now? Exciting future projects?
MP: I’m currently working on a series of works inspired by women which will be called “The Hidden Shapes Series”. Starting a new series is always an incredibly exciting time for me, I view it as the beginning of something new, like a new chapter in my life.
LC: Was there a pivotal moment when you decided to follow your path as an artist?
MP: No, I don’t think so. My transition was organic and I have taken my art increasingly seriously as I’ve matured as a person. When I was six years old, I recall my mother asking me “what would you like to do?” and I answered that I wanted to paint and so I went to art school. I've always felt like an artist and there was never a doubt in my head as to become one. Although there have been periods in my life when I’ve utilized my creativity in other ways than painting on a canvas, I’ve always been a creator at heart. What has changed in the last six years is that I now devote all of my time to my art and as such, I’m now commissioned to produce far more pieces for collectors than before in addition to running my social media, participating in exhibitions, and working with galleries so I would say I’ve taken things to a more professional level.
MILA PIERCE
From the artist’s archives
MILA PIERCE
From the artist’s archives
MILA PIERCE
From the artist’s archives
