Prodigal Sons: Tall Tales and Whoppers Ry Cooder and Michael C. McMillen recall life in old Santa Monica

Art Catalogues at LACMA would like to invite you to attend a book signing and conversation with artist Michael C. McMillen and his friend, musician Ry Cooder. Both Michael and Ry grew up in post World War II Santa Monica and attended Santa Monica high school under the cold war cloud of mid-century America. A 192 page, hardback book, produced in conjunction with Train Of Thought, McMillen’s current retrospective exhibition, will be available. Michael C. McMillen is the founding director of Aero Pacific Research, an entity focusing on perceptual cognition and the practical application of the Interflexed Ambiguity Principle. His popular Central Meridian (aka The Garage), a full scale, walk-in installation complete with car is part of LACMA’s permanent collection. The Oakland Museum of California is exhibiting “Michael C. McMillen: Train of Thought” (April 16, 2011–August 14, 2011), an exhibition spanning the 40-year career of this internationally renowned Southern California mixed-media artist, and featuring the large-scale multi-sensory installations, assemblages, sculptures, paintings, drawings and films that invite the viewer into a made-up world, a skill for which McMillen is best known. Ry Cooder grew up near the Douglas Aircraft factory, home of the DC-3. As a child, Cooder looked forward to a career as an automobile pin-striper, but "There was no one around to teach me."  The honky-tonk music of the beer joints frequented by local aircraft workers made a strong impression on the young Cooder, and he resolved to make music his life work. "My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You, by Ray Price, that did it for me. I couldn’t do my homework after that one." Cooder says. Along the way, there have been projects of some note: "Buena Vista Social Club," and the mournfully spacious  musical score to the film, "Paris Texas”, just to name a few. "Music has been a good road. I always hoped to hear from Ray Price, but so far, nothing."
Art Catalogues Bookstore, Ahmanson Building, Level 1 | Free, no reservations. Space is limited | Please call or email to pre-order signed copies of Michael’s new book Michael McMillen: Train of Thought artcatalogues@lacma.org (323) 857-6587.