Lucas Oliver Mill
For Lucas Oliver Mill, a teenage obsession with the works of David Hockney sparked a fascination with the stories behind owning artworks. What began with a collection of images, has unfolded into a career writing stories and curating collections for some of the most prestigious art institutions.
We met with the mind of Collector Walls in his London home, where he spoke to us about his cultural beginnings, his love for storytelling and why collecting is as much about emotion as it is about aesthetics.
Did you grow up in a cultural household?
‘For sure. Both of my parents really love film and theatre, and they befriended a lot of young filmmakers and writers that I encountered throughout my upbringing. I think once you build a mindset where you're willing to engage and try to fully understand one type art form, beyond just for entertainment purposes, it becomes easy to appreciate all other art forms.’
What was the first artwork or artist that left an impression on you?
‘My earliest memory of being in a museum — looking at something and really pausing — was at a David Hockney show in London. There was a room of his double portraits that he made in the late sixties, and I thought the composition of them was so strong. I also think those works instilled me with an interest of seeing humans in their homes and their personal environments, which eventually led me to creating Collector Walls.'
If you could add one painting to your own collection, which one would it be and why?
‘My favorite artist is Francis Bacon, but I'm on the fence if I would actually like to have one in my home. He was a complex man and created all these paintings of figures that looked like they were dying or suffocating. I know some collectors who own and live with his works. I’d love to own one too but it has to be the right one or else l'd be terrified looking at it.’
What’s the story behind Collector Walls?
‘Three years ago I created the Instagram page purely out of a fascination of seeing art in the context of private homes. I started researching and uncovering all these stories about how different people collect and live with art. Everybody is used to seeing the traditional side to the art world — museums, galleries, white boxes — but what they don’t often see or hear about is this human side of the art world.’
The page has been growing rapdily, why do you think that is and what do you hope that people take away from your content?
‘I’d like to think that people find the stories I tell to be informative, engaging and, maybe most importantly, they feel new. We are inundated with so much recycled content on Instagram that it feels exciting when an image or story feels undiscovered and fresh. Also, seeing a famous painting in a home, like a Rothko or a Picasso, can be so intriguing for someone who might have only seen them hanging in museums before.’
Apart from curating, you’re also a writer. What was one of your favorite features or profiles you’ve worked on and what made it special?
'Earlier this year, I spent half a day interviewing Christian and Karen Boros, who are a fascinating couple that set up a contemporary art museum housed inside a former nazi bunker. They built an apartment on top of the bunker that they live in, and I had always wanted to visit it. I got to photograph the apartment myself on my iPhone, which is something I’m trying to do more of. I love the look of an amazing home shot on an iPhone, instead of hyper-edited, professional photographs, like you see in all these interior design magazines — it makes it feel more tangible and real.’
What are you currently working on?
'One of the big projects I’m currently working on is a Basquiat show for the Louisiana Museum in Copenhagen. We’re exploring his depiction of the human head. He was such a prolific artist when it came to working on paper. I’m playing a small part, but it’s my first proper museum show that I’m working on and I’m very excited about it.'
