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Getting to know Rob Millard-Mendez

January 9, 2015

The artwork of Rob Millard-Mendez, associate professor of art, is whimsical with a twist of human parody and dark humor. He uses unexpected materials, such as rulers and mouse traps. The art seems to embody its own personality and character. His work has been exhibited in all 50 states in over 400 exhibitions. He has received more than 60 awards for his art and teaching.

In Millard-Mendez's artist statement, he describes his work as "large toys with interactive elements that the viewer can play with" and "the fun toy-like quality of my work is set in ironic counterbalance with a certain amount of dark humor."

Let's get to know the man behind the work.

Climate Change Plan B Boat This All Goes Down Together Traveling Dimhouse

Millard-Mendez

Title of Work: Climate Change Plan B Boat

Date executed: 2012

Medium:   Wood, paint, metal, coal, plastic, astroturf    

Dimensions: 40"h x 29"w x 16"d

Millard-Mendez

Title of Work: This All Goes Down Together

Date executed: 2013

Medium: Wood, glass, vegetable ivory, bone, plastic

Dimensions: 14"h x 12"w x 8"d​

Millard-Mendez

Title of Work: Traveling Dimhouse 

Date executed: 2012

Medium: Wood, paint, steel, aluminum, plastic, cast concrete, mousetraps             

Dimensions: 30"h x 26"w x 15"d

What is your favorite aspect of teaching?

My favorite thing about teaching is helping students do things they did not think they were capable of doing. Many of my students come into the Design in Materials (3D Design) class with little to no experience using tools. By the end of the class many of them end up being able to use most of the tools in the shop. It's pretty empowering to learn to use tools to build stuff. 

What is one of your greatest challenges teaching art?

I think teaching art is pretty challenging because it can be such a divergent pursuit. When I assign a project, students come to me with a wide array of solutions, many of which are quite different from one another. On any given day I might be fabricating with wood, helping a student with stained glass, assembling a Plexiglas armature, casting an object out of plaster or stitching together a fabric form. The breadth of materials and techniques one needs to know is daunting at times, but it is also really interesting. Sometimes a student has a really unexpected, novel approach to try and all I can say is "Well, I have never done that, so let's give it a try and figure it out." Grading art can be challenging; there are so many possible "correct" answers to any given visual problem.

What is one of the most interesting pieces created in your class?

I'm really impressed by what my students turn out every semester. A former student, Christopher Wilke, made a really ambitious series of classically inspired reliquaries in my class a few years back. The pieces in the series were beautifully crafted and very rich conceptually, one of the reliquaries won an award at a professional-level juried regional museum exhibition. One of my current students, Matt Koewler, is working on a super-complex "infinity box" piece that combines 3D printed elements with traditionally crafted wood forms. It's pretty awesome.

Tell me a little about your artistic style.

My artistic style borrows from American Folk Art, fine woodworking and assemblage art. I aim for my work to be intriguing to different audiences. The work includes lots of humor and references to cartoons, philosophy, art history and maritime crafts. 

Tell me about your collaboration with Patchwork Central?

I have had a great time working with Patchwork Central over the last four or five years; they do amazing things there. It is wonderful just being around Jane Case-Vickers and Amy Rich, they are excellent artists and inspiring teachers. I've been working with Patchwork Central for the last few summers on different projects. We have made a monumental sphere out of weathered wood, a really neat bike rack, a driftwood sculpture of a sinuous river form, various masks and cardboard projects and a beautiful new two-sided sign. None of the projects would have happened without the indefatigable energy of the children, the staff and the volunteers. I am just a facilitator who likes power tools.

Rob Millard Mendez6470 Rob Millard
Zero hair regimen Current hair regimen

Your nominator said to be sure to ask you: What is your hair care regimen?

This is a funny question because for a long time I shaved my head and had a "zero hair regimen". My hair is pretty unruly if I let it just do its own thing, so I have figured out a few ways to keep it in line. I only wash my hair once a week, otherwise it gets dry. Every day I apply a generous amount of "The Conditioner" by Paul Mitchell (it is an amazing leave-in), along with sculpting lotion and a little gel for control.

What was your first job?

My first job was as a newspaper collator for the Boston Globe, I started when I was 16. The Sunday Boston Globe used to be huge. It came in up to five different sections that all had to be put together on Fridays and Saturdays so they could be delivered really early in the morning on Sundays. All of the work was done by hand, and I was paid by the piece for each newspaper I assembled, so working fast was of the name of the game. Since the job was only on Fridays and Saturdays, I kept it for 16 years. By the end of my time there I was one of the fastest collators in Massachusetts (I could make around $28 an hour) but the wear and tear on my hands and shoulders got to be too much, so I quit.

If you could have an enlightening conversation with any of the great master artists past, who would it be and why?

I would like to talk to H.C. Westermann, he is my patron saint when it comes to art. I am not sure if he is canonical enough to be considered a "great master artist", but his work has an incredible level of craft and it is notable for its grit and honesty. Westermann had a quick wit and a wonderful sense of humor in his life and his work, it would just be great to sit down with him and talk about art and life.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

I would like to learn to pilot a plane. I have always been interested in flight and flying things. 

Little Rob

As a child I wanted to be a _______ when I grew up.

I had always wanted to be doctor. I entered undergraduate school on a full academic scholarship as a biology/pre-med student. It was not until my sophomore year that I changed my major to art.

How do you hope to be remembered when you're gone?

Once I began teaching I realized quickly that educating people is what I am meant to do with my life. I hope to be remembered as someone who inspired, challenged and nurtured people. 

What was your favorite toy as a child?

This is a bit of a toss-up.  I was kind of obsessed with LEGOs as a child. I have always enjoyed building things. Coming in a very close second would be Micronauts, they were these incredibly cool robot toys that allowed you to reconfigure their parts in innumerable combinations. 

What is one fact about you that many would be surprised to learn?

I've been a vegetarian for the past 20 years. 

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I love running with my wife Nancy Raen-Mendez and playing board games (Settlers of Catan is a favorite). I also like reading and binge-watching Netflix (anything sci-fi and How Its Made dominate my playlist). I also enjoy listening to Boston sports radio and watching football.

Millard-Mendez's work can be seen locally in the McCutchan Art Center and Pace Galleries, the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art, Patchwork Central and on his website.

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