Today we’d like to introduce you to Micah Mickles.
Hi Micah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Micah Mickles, and I am a native St. Louisan. I am also a visual artist, photographer, jewelry maker, and music producer. Over 15 years, I have also freelanced in New York City, primarily in fashion photography. I am a Master of Fine Arts student attending the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. I was born in 1986 and raised by an entrepreneur father and an early childhood professional mother. I like highlighting my parents’ chosen career paths as my earliest impressions. My media and community service interest links my creative endeavors to personally meaningful and engaging art practice. Because they worked to connect with the greater community, I will follow in their footsteps. Running parallel with my art practice has been a rewarding career as a grocer at Trader Joe’s. My experience working alongside and experiencing the public through this hub has been pivotal for merging my visual interest with my humanitarian sentiments. Through my job, I serve others by selling great food products, helping to reduce waste, and donating provisions to less fortunate populations in my immediate community.
My research as a master’s degree student is about peeling back the layers of design, marketing, and advertising to gain a deeper understanding of food systems. As an employee of a major company, I have used my art to take more responsibility to create work that can function as windows of opportunity for consumers to make more informed choices when making purchases.
As a long-time grocery store employee, my worldview is shaped by the insights gained from the retail experience. I am motivated to investigate the fleeting nature of material culture and labor and the intricate system of significant international relationships in history. My interest in repurposing graphic design and found objects is informed by my firsthand experience as a participant in food production and retail. My approach to mindfulness, both as an artist and retail employee, is furthered by observing the individuals responsible for cultivating, harvesting, sorting, packing, and shipping the products we regularly consume.
My practice involves reconfiguring the language, signage, and ubiquitous symbols in the retail industry, both common and uncommon. In doing so, I aim to confront the intricate social and economic issues that affect our modern world. I use my work to engage in dialogue about labor exploitation, globalization, economic disparities, and industrialization. By incorporating found materials and retail iconography into my work, I strive to explore and comprehend the systemic economic instability that continues to perpetuate forms of colonialism, both historical and contemporary.
My latest collection, ‘Retail Banners,’ are tapestries that interweave discarded materials, symbols, and photographs referencing commodities and complex relationships among consumers, producers, and the global supply chain. I allude to locations, personal recollections, and lesser-known narratives that bind us as a species, whether through stitching empty sacks of produce to resemble makeshift flags or constructing organic forms that evoke solidified archaeological containers. As an artist and experienced grocery worker, my beliefs have altered my perception of human nature, capitalism, and privilege. The decision to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle has also gradually impacted my consumption habits, and my artwork now seeks to foster greater empathy and comprehension for those who experience similar or more significant challenges in the workplace.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My road has been long but worth it. I don’t have any regrets, and every challenge has revealed itself as a reward later. The obstacles help slow us down to observe the present moment better.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work combines photography, drawing, printmaking, and textiles, to create assemblages that reference personal experiences of labor, consumer products, place, and memory. As a long-time grocery store employee, my worldview is shaped by the insights gained from the retail experience. I am motivated to investigate the fleeting nature of material culture and labor and the intricate system of significant international relationships in history. My interest in repurposing graphic design and found objects is informed by my firsthand experience as a participant in food production and retail. My approach to mindfulness, both as an artist and retail employee, is furthered by observing the individuals responsible for cultivating, harvesting, sorting, packing, and shipping the products we regularly consume.
My practice involves reconfiguring the language, signage, and ubiquitous symbols in the retail industry, both common and uncommon. In doing so, I aim to confront the intricate social and economic issues that affect our modern world. I use my work and research to engage in dialogue while considering labor exploitation, globalization, economic disparities, and industrialization. By incorporating found materials and retail iconography into my career, I strive to explore and comprehend the systemic economic instability that continues to perpetuate forms of colonialism, both historical and contemporary.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
My advice for those just starting is to document your ideas through writing, drawing, photographs, audio recordings, sculpting miniature models, etc. Sometimes your best work may not materialize until years down the line. By then, you will likely encounter the right resources, technologies, or key figures supporting your career. Also, write about your goals, dreams, and visions for the future. I like to make vision boards and make them into my background on my smartphone. As much as I use my phone for everyday things, I also look at my goals a lot. I need to add new things to conquer while removing things I’ve achieved.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.huelasa.com
- Instagram: @studio_huelasa
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/micah.mickles/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-mickles-267b2455/
