'To Advance Visual Expression': How Micheline Ronningen Found Herself In A Wilsonville Art Gallery

WILSONVILLE, OR — Micheline 'Mickey' Ronningen has no idea how she was selected to display her artwork for two months in a Wilsonville art gallery, but she's grateful for the opportunity.

An artist, actress, writer, photographer, filmmaker, and occasional (scrip) black jack dealer, Ronningen's life has been filled with eclectic and exciting experiences, including three appearances on the popular IFC TV show Portlandia (portraying Carrie Brownstein's mother).

Yet it's the 71-year-old Ronningen's forthcoming art show at Clackamas Community College's Wilsonville campus art gallery that has her most excited at the moment. Though it could be seen as just another art show on her long list of life achievements, Ronningen is particularly excited because this will be the largest show — with 37 pieces displayed — that she's ever held.

"It's definitely my biggest show, and it's the first one I've had to install," Ronningen told Patch, noting that it took her a whole month to decide how she would organize the exhibit. "There's a lot of thought that goes into (the layout) — a lot of passion."

For some, a piece of artwork can offer insight into the mind of the artist. The lines drawn or painted, the composition of colors and shapes, are all a reflection of the person behind the individual production. And when putting several pieces together into an exhibit, the flow of the art show can offer a story of sorts — a deeper explanation of the artist's thought process, or an arms-length view of what the artist has experienced over a period of time in their life.

This is especially true for Ronningen, whose deliberately arranged art exhibition will be on display from July 5 to Sept. 8 at 29353 S.W. Town Center Loop East.

"Normally, if you go to a gallery show or something, they'll have a theme — say, seascapes, or mountain views, or red, or something," Ronningen explained. "This isn't (themed). And one thing I'm trying to demonstrate here is that the creative process goes through all kinds of different phases. I'm led by the process, not the product … Some of my work is fantasy; some is narrative; some is painterly; some is geometric."

Ronningen takes pride in her abilities as a mixed-media artist, which she developed while studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Ink, paint, pens, markers — she uses a wide variety of styles in her productions, which works especially well for her non-thematic exhibit in Wilsonville.

"I have one drawing called 'Red Box Dimensionality', and what makes it jump — the dimensions — is the pencil lines," Ronningen said. "It's placed right next to the (gallery's) smoke alarm, which is a red box — and I love it. This is just something that's, y'know … whimsical."

Ronningen draws from life experiences for her art, she said, noting the various adventures she's experienced throughout her life has provided fuel for her own creativity and expression.

'The Myriad Things of This Fleeting World' is one piece Ronningen is particularly delighted to share at the exhibit, she said. The title, she said, came from a line in the novel Rashomon Gate by I.J. Parker: "We went to sit outside, our minds caught up in the myriad things of this fleeting world."

"The composition starts in the upper left, and it's all these myriad things," she said. "And then they fade out to black and white pencil. I really like that piece."

Whether someone would even recognize all the work was by one person may be dependent upon their sensitivity, she said.

"I've seen shows with a bunch of artists, and like my hangings they're all stacked. Sometimes it can look very discordant," Ronningen said. "But my show has a harmony. Anybody looking at it can tell it was made by the same hand."

Ronningen's use of color stands out as possibly the only specific theme, she conceded.

"I think anybody with an appreciation for visual response might pick up on it," she said, noting that regardless of her intention the audience will invariably take its own interpretation anyway.

One thing Ronningen does hope, she said, is that more people will walk away with a greater desire to engage with art, and that for anyone who sees her exhibit to develop, perhaps, a better understanding of the artist's process and see that artists aren't out there just to make "pretty pictures and sell them."

"I want to make a contribution to art. I don't care if I sell anything … I'm a terrible businesswoman," she said with a laugh. "I just want to advance visual expression.

"I don't think art should be separated from life," she continued. "I think galleries tend to be isolationists — sometimes. So, I like that more restaurants and libraries and public spaces are embracing more art and supporting local artists. I think it's wonderful.

"I was born an artist. I didn't choose to become one," she continued. "I didn't talk until I was five. I drew pictures and I developed my own language. (Art) is a language — a way of expression that's visual. I prefer visual, and I like to keep it ambivalent and open to invite someone else's creativity into the process."

Visit Ronningen's exhibit in Wilsonville at the Clackamas Community College campus art gallery, open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. A special opening day event, where the audience will have an opportunity to meet Ronningen and hear her speak, begins at 5 p.m. July 5.

Photo Courtesy: Micheline 'Mickey' Ronningen