Rodney McMillian is an artist with works in nearly all of America’s top contemporary and modern art museums. His paintings have hung in Oslo, Norway and London, England. Now, the Irmo-born son comes home.
The Columbia Museum of Art acquired two paintings by McMillian. The yearlong feat is from the Contemporaries board of volunteers, who raise funds and seek new work for the museum’s contemporary art collection.
McMillian was joined by his family and friends at CMA on Aug. 7 to present the works, where the Los Angeles-based artist was given a key to the city of Columbia, and presented a resolution from the General Assembly.
Rodney McMillian, left, sits on the stage with Michaela Pilar Brown, right, to discuss his art and history
“They say you’re never a prophet in your own town, so when your hometown begins to recognize you it should mean something,” said State Sen. Todd Rutherford, the minority leader who represents Richland County. “It should mean something for those of us that have watched from afar, seeing the artwork be created and seeing all the things that you’ve been able to do; to take history and bring it present.”
Rutherford and McMillian grew up together.
McMillian is a prominent voice in 21st Century contemporary American art. Rooted in landscape painting, McMillian examines the intersections of place, race, gender and politics in his mixed-media collections.
One of the acquired works is “Twice Painted,” a still life of empty flower vases. It’s a dark piece, with the vases painted near-black, and the background all but swallowing the light. It’s simple in object and small in stature — a change from most of McMillian’s large-scale works — but “Twice Painted” holds your attention; there’s something to be found in the blackness.
“Twice Painted,” a still life by Rodney McMillian, hangs in the Columbia Museum of Art.
In contrast, the CMA also acquired a work from McMillian’s collection, “The Body Politic,” an exploration and damnation of America’s history of experimentation and “medical exploitation” of Black people.
The painting, “Untitled (For Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosely),” dominates the wall upon which it hangs. Black and purple tributaries weave through murky yellow and green, like a marsh bleeding into an estuary. Along the bottom of the piece is a quote from OBGYN and activist, Dr. Reagan McDonald-Mosley. It glares in red, blocky letters: “You can’t educate your way out of the problem. You can’t health-care-access your way out of the problem. There’s something inherently wrong with the system that’s not valuing the lives of Black women equally to White women.”
The Columbia Museum of Art acquired two paintings by contemporary artist Rodney McMillian
“Being able to have an artwork that really speaks to the vast disparities in the systemic inequities as it comes to your women’s bodies is incredibly profound and powerful to me, and I hope that it will be for you, as well,” said Columbia City Councilwoman Aditi Bussells, an epidemiologist and Contemporaries member who helped acquire McMillian’s works. Bussells and Councilman Peter Brown were on-hand to present McMillian with the key to the city.
McMillian’s works hang in CMA’s second-level Contemporary Art Gallery, just right of Mao, a 10-work series of Andy Warhol’s Mao Zedong portraits. As part of CMA’s Collection, the works will be a permanent fixture at the Main Street museum.
Visitors observe of one of two Rodney McMillian works at the Columbia Museum of Art
And while the acquisition took a year to pull off, CMA and McMillian aren’t through working together.
Speaking to the crowd at the private Aug. 7 event, McMillian announced a solo exhibition at CMA, slated for 2025.
“I’m just deeply, deeply touched,” McMillian said of his time with CMA thus far. “And I can’t wait to keep seeing you around as we build this show, in a couple of years.”
While he said McMillian’s announcement was “a surprise to you and me both,” CMA Curator Michael Neumeister said the exhibit will be created specifically for the museum, but planning is in the early stages.
