American artist Jeff McMillan (b. 1968) studied fine arts in Texas and Alabama before moving to London in 1998. His work approaches painting through materiality and process, often in dialogue with found objects.
His recent series of paintings result by applying thin veils of oil paint to stretched antique linen which are then attached to the exterior of the artist’s studio for several years. This gradually changing outdoor installation of dozens of works is like a cross between Mondrian’s New York studio wall and the house of a self-taught artist from the Deep South. The paintings on the façade encounter sun, rain, and pollution and so evolve and discolour over time until McMillan returns them inside the studio to create the finished works. Each one addresses a simple proposition for a painting - some are simply pinned or framed, others folded to become sculptural, even architectural. They all have a shared history, and are in themselves history paintings, bearing the marks of their own particular time and place.
A short video where Jeff McMillan talks about his recent works.
"I hang the paintings outside and they are affected by the elements: sun, rain, birds, snails and the pollution of London."
McMillan’s work is held in private and public collections in Europe and the United States including TATE (London), the Whitworth Art Gallery (Manchester), San Antonio Museum of Art (Texas) and Museum Voorlinden (the Netherlands).