Wes Mills

Biography
Wes Mills (b. 1960) is typically known for his signature white powder and charcoal drawings but has recently ventured into making landscape oil paintings. Inspired by a need to reconnect with his environment, Mills initially sought to create landscape paintings as a means to slow down and deeply observe the world around him. This evocative oil painting captures the essence of a park that he frequents in the melancholic late afternoon light.

Wes Mills has been making work for more than 40 years. His work can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, NY; the Whitney Museum, NY; Museum of Contemporary Art, LA; and many more. Mills exhibitions have been reviewed in the New York Times, Art in America, Artforum, among others. He has exhibited widely including at Harwood Art Museum, Taos, NM; Art Museum of Missoula, MT; and Palazzo Mocenigo, Venice, Italy. He lives and works in Taos, NM.

For the ghostly sheets and occasional canvases produced by Wes Mills, ”markings” might be a better word than ”drawings.” Drawing seems to imply more structure and a firmer pressure on the instrument than the artist exerts. But the pocks and abstract lines of Mr. Mills’s brush, pencil and erasures — sometimes bunched or clustered, sometimes meandering bravely on their own — pay no heed to such conventional ideas. Notations suggesting the real world without the need to blossom into images, they have the feel of Zen poetry. – The New York Times

One time, I was sitting on the bank of the Bitterroot River near my home, watching sticks and leaves float by. I was thinking about the flow of the river and the linear space it covered. In my mind I could see the world in this linear way, but at the same time I could hear the water lapping up against the bank, back and forth, to and from me. The lapping shoreline was only taking up a foot or so of space, yet I could see the history of this line going up the side of the bank and valley. Around this time, I felt that my orientation toward my work—the way I looked at drawing and the world— was changing. – Wes Mills

Select Exhibitions
2024
Influential Taos, 203 fine art, Taos, NM

2023
Drawings, 203 fine art, Taos, NM
the silent twig, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR
Summer Show/ Marc Baseman, Agnes Martin, Wes Mills, Bruce Nauman, Richard Tuttle, 5. Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Wes Mills/drawings, 5. Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

2021
Easy Breezy, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR Walking, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR
The Color of Breathlessness, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR

2020
Friendship and what we find in the commonality of our differences, 5. Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Bringing Together: Recent Acquisitions, New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe NM
Visual limits, 5. Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

2019
drawings, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR
drawing and a history, 5. Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

2017
Continuum: Light, Space and Time, The Harwood Museum of Art, Taos, NM
Dislocation, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR

2016
The Last Picture Show, James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
A Stand of Pine in a Tilled Field: 21 Years at PDX, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR

2015
Let’s Get Lost, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR

2014
Highlights from the Gus Foster Collection, The Harwood Museum of Art, Taos, NM
Hamilton Drawings, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR

2013
Range, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR

2012
to tease a hummingbird, solo show, James Kelly Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

2011
to tease a hummingbird, solo show, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR
The Literal Line: Minimalism Then and Now, Sun Valley Center for the Arts, Sun Valley, ID
20 in 2011, Richard Levy Gallery, Albuquerque, NM

2009
Graphite on Paper, Wes Mills & Susan York, James Kelly Contemporary Santa Fe, NM
Mondrian’s Forest, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR
Master Drawings New York: Sol LeWitt, Agnes Martin, Wes Mills, Dickinson, New York, NY

2007
Apex: Wes Mills, Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
Drawings, PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Portland, OR
Small is Beautiful, Gasser & Grunert, Inc. New York, NY
Jane Highstein, David Ireland, Toshi Miki, Wes Mills, Dwight Hackett projects, Santa Fe, NM
Unspeakable: James Castle, Andrea Merrel, Wes Mills, J. Crist Gallery, Boise, ID
New acquisitions, Art Museum of Missoula, MT

2006
Block Party, Daniel Weinberg Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Line and Surface, works on Paper, Peter Blum, New York, NY

2005
Wes Mills, drawings from the Cartin collection, Art Basel / Art + Design, Miami, FL
Contemporary drawings, Schick Art Gallery, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
Wes Mills, Tom Sather, Dwight Hackett Projects, Santa Fe, NM
Tom Friedman, untitled, Wes Mills, Drawings of Jain, Galerie Albrecht, Munich, Germany
Traces, Tracy Williams, Ltd, New York, NY

2004
Contemporary works on paper, Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
Wes Mills, Richard Levy Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
Works on Paper: A 5th Anniversary Exhibition, James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
Paper, Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Wes Mills: Drawings from the Second Nature, Gallery Joe, Philadelphia, PA
Wes Mills: The Second Nature, James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM

2003
At the Edge of Science, Sun Valley Center for the Arts, Ketchum, ID

2002
Wes Mills: Bitterroot drawings, Joseph Helman Gallery, New York, NY
Anne Appleby, Mala Breuer, Cary Smith, Wes Mills, Galerie Albrecht, Munich, Germany
Drawings at the Ice House, The Ice House, Mayfield, KY
Survey, Gallery Joe, Philadelphia, PA

2001
Anne Appleby / Wes Mills, Art Museum of Missoula, MT
Wes Mills: Over the shore line, Galerie Albrecht, Munich, Germany
Stuart Arends, Mala Breuer, Wes Mills,Tom Waldron, Richard Levy Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
Summer (group exhibition), Joseph Helman Gallery, New York, NY
Survey, Gallery Joe, Philadelphia, PA
Minimal, G. Goldberg, E. Kelly, S. LeWitt, B. Marden, W.Mills, R.Tuttle. Jim Kempner Fine Art, New York, NY
Wes Mills: Drawings, Hosfelt Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Gallery Artist, James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM

2000
Wes Mills: at Aurobora Press, San Francisco, CA
Microwave, 123 Watts Gallery, New York, NY
Anne Appleby / Wes Mills New Prints, Richard Levy Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
Wes Mills: Open- Ended, Galerie Albrecht, Munich, Germany
Tamarind: Forty Years, University Art Museum, Albuquerque, NM
Mala Breuer, Kate Sheppard, Wes Mills, James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
Wes Mills: Memory line, Gallery Joe, Philadelphia, PA
Paperworks: Group exhibition, Contemporary Arts Society of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Wes Mills: Missoula Drawings, Joseph Helman Gallery, New York, NY, January 28-February 24.
Lasting Impressions: Contemporary prints from the Bruce Brown Collection, Portland Museum of Art, Portland, ME

1999
Minimal / Emotional: Glen Goldberg, Wes Mills, Xiaobai Su, Galerie Albrecht, Munich, Germany
Wes Mills: 8 Drawings, Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago, IL
The drawing show, Kohn Turner Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Group exhibition, H. Frankenthaler, D. Smith, D. Sultan, M. di Servio, W. Mills, M. Heizer, Hill Gallery, Birmingham, MI
Wes Mills: Drawings, John Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Gallery artists, Joseph Helman Gallery, New York Blue on White: Wes Mills Drawings, James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
Wes Mills: New lithographs, Tamarind Institute, Albuquerque, NM

Collections
Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH
Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, ME
Harwood Museum of Art, University of New Mexico, Taos, NM
Missoula Art Museum, Missoula, MT
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, NM
Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR
Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY

Press
2023
“Tempo’s Top Five.” Taos News, July 14, 2023.
Robinson, Lynn. “‘Drawings’ by Wes Mills and Marc Baseman.” Taos News, July 10, 2023.
Syson, Luke. Holmes, Steven. “Seen in the Mirror, Things from the Cartin Collection.” David Zwirner Books, September, 2023

2020
Abatemarco, Michael. “Debbie Long at 5. Gallery.” Santa Fe New Mexican, March 27, 2020.
De Vore, Alex. “Swimming Upstream.” Santa Fe Reporter, March 24, 2020.

2014
Speer, Richard, “Critic’s Picks: Portland,” art ltd., March 2014
Langner, Erin, “PDX Road Trip: New Work from Ellen Lesperance, Jessica Jackson Hutchins and Wes Mills,” New American Paintings, March, 2014

2007
Libby, Brian, “Get in line for Mills,” The Oregonian, July 27
Douglass, Arcy, “The Material World: Wes Mills at APEX and PDX,” PORT, July 23
Motley, John, “APEX, Wes Mills,” The Portland Mercury, July 5 – July 11

2005
Quinn, Elizabeth, “Three Drawings,” High Desert Journal. Fall 2005 Issue #2
King, Sarah, “Santa Fe summer preview” Art in America Magazine. June/July 2005
Lhamo, Rinchen, “Wes Mills, Tom Sather at Dwight Hackett Projects” THE Magazine, July

2004
Reed, Arden, “ Wes Miills at Richard Levy,” Art in America, September 2004
Armitage, Diane, “Wes Mills: Drawings from 1994 to 2004” THE Magazine, July 2004
Cartin, Mickey, “Wes Mills” (catalog), May 2004
Previews,”Wes Mills,Bridges and the Living Line”, THE Magazine, May 2004
Chicon Rafael, Lloyd, Ann Wilson, “Wes Mills,” (hardcover book) Printed Matter, Inc. 2004

2003
Bailey, Susan, “New Age…” Wood River Journal, November 5, 2003 Pettinger, E.J, “And The Universe Said” Boise Weekly, December 17, 2003
Fallon, Roberta, “Pencil Perfect,” Philadelphia Weekly, April 2, 2003
Chambers, Christopher, “April Picks: Marjetica Potrc, Cecily Brown, Wes Mills…,” NY Arts Magazine, April 2003
Carlisle, Susanna, “Wes Mills: The Second Nature,” THE Magazine, April 2003
McQuaid, Cate, “Meticulous meditations on the Abstract,” Boston Globe, January 3, 2003

2002
Esplund, Lance, “Wes Mills at Joseph Helman,” Art in America, November 2002
Naves, Mario, “Sweet Somethings of Silk and String” The New York Observer, March 2002

2001
Corbett, William, All Prose “Wes Mills” 2001 Kwasny, Melissa, “Anne Appleby & Wes Mills” Catalog essay Winter 2001
McNamer, Megan, “What you see is… what you see” Missoula Independent 2001
Jones, Sherry, “Almost nothing” The Missoulian, November 2001
Esplund, Lance, Writers on Modern Art, Modern Painters, Fall 2001
Bienvenu, Josee “Microwave 3”, (catalog) September 2001
Pulka, W ,“Art Chicago”, Albuquerque Journal, June 3, 2001
Artner, Alan, “Art Chicago”, The Chicago Tribune, May 2001

2000
Esplund, Lance, “Divinations, The enigmatic drawings of Wes. Mills”, Modern Painters Magazine, Autumn 2000
Perl, Jed, “Theory for Gallerygoers, Wes Mills drawings,” The New Republic Magazine, (Review) March 2000
Rubinstein, Raphael, “Surveying the scene, The Whitney biennial” Art in America Magazine. July 2000
Liener, Michael, “Wes Mills New Monotype Drawings” (Catalog essay) November 2000
Bruce, Brown, “Lasting Impressions: Contemporary prints from the Bruce Brown Collection”, (Exhibition catalog) Glueck, Grace, “ Wes Mills: Missoula drawings” The New York Times, (Review) February 18, 2000
Karlins, N.F, “Wes Mills: Missoula drawings” ArtNet Magazine (Review), March 2000
Camper, Fred, “ Wes Mills: Missoula drawings”, (catalog) January 2000
Applaus, “Open Ended”, The Munich Paper (Review) May 2000
Bienvenu, Josee, “Microwave 2”, (catalog) September 2000
Levin, Kim, “Village Voice” (Recommended) September 2000

1999
Camper, Fred, “Drawing Us In”, The Chicago Reader, (Review) May 1999
Artner, Alan G, “Wes Mills at Rhona Hoffman”, The Chicago Tribune, (Review) July 1999
Camper, Fred, “Art 1999’s luminaries…”, The Chicago Reader, May 1999
King, Sarah, “Blue on White”, Wes Mills drawings at Jim Kelly Contemporary, Art in America, (Review) July 1999
Carlisle, Susanna, “Blue on White”, Wes Mills drawings” (Review) THE magazine, May 1999
Cross, Guy, “Interview with Wes Mills”, THE Magazine, March 1999
Brack, B., Wes Mills “Winter Drawings” NY Arts Magazine, January 1999
Mark Van De Walle, “Learning to see Slowly: the Drawings of Wes Mills” (Catalog Essay) September 1999

1998
Lloyd, Ann Wilson, “Walking on the Sea” (Catalog Essay) Spring 1998
Wilson, Malin. “Wes Mills’ Drawings: the Taos Years” (Catalog Essay) 1998
Goodman, Jonathan, “Wes Mills at Joseph Helman Gallery”, Art in America Magazine, June 1998
Sussler, Betsy, “Wes Mills”, BOMB Magazine, Summer 1998
Brennan, Michael, “Wes Mills”, (Review) ArtNet Magazine, March 1998
Corbett, Bill, “ Wes Mills drawings at Joseph Helman Gallery”, Arts Media Magazine, March 1998
Johnson, Ken, “ Wes Mills at Joseph Helman Gallery”, The New York Times, February 6, 1998
Walcott, Ellison, “ Wes Mills at Joseph Helman Gallery”, Review Magazine, February 1, 1998
McQaid, Cate, “Wes Mills at Barbara Krakow”, The Boston Globe, January 15, 1998

1997
Kiby, Ulrika, “Wes Mills / Raymond Pettibon at Galerie Haus Schneider”, Flash Art, October 1997
Corbett, Bill, (image) Wes Mills, Lingo Magazine #7, 1997
Adlmann, Jan, “Contemporary Art in New Mexico,” Wes Mills (p.130-133) 1997(Hardcover book)
Pulka, Wesley, “Artist extend textures far beyond surface”, Albuquerque Journal, June 1997
Armitage, Diane, “Drawings About Growth”, THE Magazine, July 1997

1996
Yau, John. “In Pursuit of the Invisible, Selections from the Collection of Janice and Mickey Cartin,” Hard Press, 1996

1995
Tobin, Richard, “Wes Mills and Corin Hewitt at Laura Carpenter Fine Art”, THE Magazine
“Wes Mills Interview”, Interview Magazine, August, 1995
Van de Walle, Mark, “Santa Fe”, Flash Art, Summer, 1995
Crump, James, “Alcove Show, Santa Fe Museum of Fine Arts,” New Art Examiner, March 1995
Adelman, Jan, “Report from Santa Fe,” Art in America, January 1995
Harris, Susan, “Wes Mills at Berman/Daferner”, Art in America, January 1995

1994
Ziolkowski, Thad, “Wes Mills”, Artforum Magazine, December 1994
Cross, Guy, “Universe of Wes Mills”, THE Magazine, September 1994
Armitage, Diane, “Exquisite Drawings Gain Power from Vulnerability,” Albuquerque Journal, March 24, 1994
Balsamo, Dean, “New Drawings: Wes Mills, Laura Carpenter Fine Art”, New Mexican
“Win Knowlton, Wes Mills, Sara Schwartz”,Pasatiempo, Santa Fe New Mexican, March 18, 1994

1993
Mark Van De Walle, “Win Knowlton, Wes Mills, Sara Schwartz”, New Art Examiner, May 1993
Van de Walle, Mark, “Win Knowlton, Wes Mills, Sara Schwartz”, THE Magazine, April 1993
Van de Walle, Mark, “Wes Mills”, Artforum Magazine, December 1993
Mentzinger, Bob, “Wes Mills Interview”, The Taos News, May 1993

1992
Ensor, Deborah, “Mill’s drawings: the essence of growing up”, Tempo, December 1992

1981
Lawrence, Janice, “Artist dislikes being stereotyped”, Murray State News, September 1981
Johnson, Barry, “Phyllis George Brown inspects Mills sculpture”, Murray State News, October 1981

Press Release
2024 Trees at Richard Levy Gallery