Milly Skellington: Alternate Ending to a Tale of Two Cities
by Thomas Ludacer
Artist Milly Skellington has two concurrent exhibitions under ’Alternate Ending to a Tale of Two Cities’ within walking distance of each other. There are several conversations happening in the two shows. One dialogue with more material concern is at Galerie Timonier (246 W Broadway). A drawing and two sculptures make up the efforts that carry a history of collaboration amongst artists and traditional method.
A slab of Portuguese marble was worked and carved with the intent of understanding scale and adapting a drawing of an other-breed Hollywood banner reading ‘Holywater’. Early twentieth century artists Constantin Brancusi and Isamu Noguchi aimed to retain the natural beauty of stone and metals; unintentionally achieving simplicity. The mission was to intervene as little as possible in the material’s being. Milly maintains this idea by lifting the weight of the hand tools and allowing the grain of both mahogany and marble to make choices. The lettering forms emerge out of the geometric block as organically as a tree could from the ground. Across is a free standing light work. The vertical carved knot of mahogany frays out of its woven bond. The quarry marks are still apparent. The lumber has ID info. Milly’s experimental movements and decisions revolve around adaptations and transferences of concepts and medium. Elements of screenplays turn into drawings turn into sculptures. Blending and splicing of popular phrases, landmarks, and environments generate scenes of mystery and intrigue.
The persistent adaptation in Milly’s layered practice references artists and cultures from historical English figures to American celebrity bytes. Large participatory projects like Martin Kippenberger’s final epic work which completes and expands on the unfinished novel ‘Amerika’ of Franz Kafka are mentioned. The generational artistic calls and responses may continue on and on in this world and in Milly’s.
The exhibition at Galerie Timonier runs through December 7th and at Hyacinth through December 15th.