ARTIST MICKALENE THOMAS HAS SPENT YEARS PAINTING A COTERIE OF BLACK HEROINES IN SIGNATURE POP-BRIGHT. GRAPHIC STYLE. NOW HER WORK IS COMING TO LIFE. INSPIRED EQUALLY BY BALTHUS AND TONI BASIL
In this photograph, I am standing in front of a couple of Tom Wesselmann paintings wearing a Jose Duran original ensemble. Seven models from my Oh Mickey performance surround me. We are prepared for our project for the Kreemart and the American Patrons of Tate, who have combined to support a unique art event at the Haunch of Venison Gallery in New York City. The Oh Mickey piece is based on my video and painting installation Oh Mickey! (2008), which was inspired by a Balthus painting called La Toilette. In the Balthus, a young girl is wearing lube socks and red slippers, standing alone in an intimate interior space. In my piece, I have a model standing in one of my installations completely nude, except for tube socks and red heels, singing Toni Basil's "Mickey" song. With this work, I am playing with the complex relationship between the artist and the muse, exposing the neurosis of the artist's ego. For the Kreemart performance, I worked with seven women wearing white tube socks and shiny red high heels while serving cake. The only way to get a piece of cake from them is to repeat the secret pass word, "Oh Mickey, you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind, oh Mickey, oh Mickey!"
-Micakalene Thomas