About
Alice Mill is an artist based on the moors of West Yorkshire.
Currently deliciously in love with moving paint with brushes on canvas and hoping to exhibit in venues across the country (or further a field – do contact with offers). Her studio is a small bible study room in an 18th century Baptist chapel.
contact: handsonart[at]gmail.com
LIFE STORY IN A LARGE NUTSHELL
My flesh was born in Essex (UK), a stones throw from Tiptree Jam Factory, (who now make a very fine brown sauce). It was 1972 and real nappies were boiled clean in a cauldron on the fire in our sweet cottage. Once the brew smelt so good a fellow hippy took some as soup. Good shit man. We lived in that cottage long enough to stake my claim on the infamy of Essex – a slag encrusted county, and I will forever rejoice with apparent irony that such a cultured, well spoken creation as myself has been born with such a slutty heritage. (There will be many who can’t see any irony at all!)
We moved to Brixton, South London, to a squat in a terrace of squats, complete with my own gang of snotty squat kids. The walls of our house were gold, reds, silver and jade. A palace of good colour combinations. The chime of a big gong announced dinner time. My favourite foods were rissoles, hand made plait apple bread, brown rice with lashings of tahini n’ soy sauce eaten skilfully with chop sticks. It was the era of macramé….
I lived a healthy balance of playful gang culture and also the poetic existence of an only child. I liked miniature tea parties, aprons, daydreaming and numbers. I pestered adults for sums. Then disappear with them into the dream like world of my attic room. I counted lots, then counted ever higher. Once I counted the same count for days. Writing down my high, having food or sleep then reuniting with the count teasing myself ever higher. I stopped when I discovered the concept of infinity.
My community was coloured by artists, musicians, activists and hairy parents. Set in a time of Rastas with very large ghetto blasters on their shoulders, of roller skates and hot pants. As a kid I sensed something big. I knew soon in life I would be confirmed a genius, a famous artist, do something to change this planet, die aged 36 (my current age – which is perhaps why I’m writing all this!). I liked to feel one with the thinkers and doers, my badge calling for ‘Solidarity’.
Many of these early years were spent too scared to live, being treated like shit – I had to watch others in order to learn how to be. A bit like a pup watching the grown dogs pissing up a lamp post, then taking several attempts not to piss all over itself or fall over. Yep, that was me – and that’s what i smelt of!
These days I’m a big pup, I’m a mama pup showing babies different ways of pissing up lamp posts.
I got style, I got rhythm – and it’s amazing how many tasks can be done with these finesses. (At this point i can picture it well, squeezing and pulsing at the pelvic floor utilising several kung-fu style pissing poses – hitting the lamp post every time (obviously a fantasy!).
I’m Alice Hutt – Mother, Artist, Inspiration, Educator, Activist, DJ, Model and very Human. 2010
