Mick La Rock is one of the world's first and most well known female graffiti artists.
Aileen Esther Middel, born 1970 Groningen, Netherlands, currently lives and works
in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Graffiti Artist
Graffiti conservator/curator, specialization Stylewriting.
Solo exhibitions
2014 7 Compositions, Centrum voor Beeldende Kunst Zuidoost/Centre for
Visual Arts Southeast, Amsterdam
2013 Knitting & Graffiti, Centrum voor Beeldende Kunst Zuidoost/Centre for
Visual Arts Southeast, Amsterdam
2012 Mick La Rock, ArtUnit, Haarlem
Group exhibitions
2022 Urban Art Biennale, Museum Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte, Völklingen
2022 Shape Shifters, Kunstlinie, Almere
2022 Layercake The VERSUS Project II, Urban Nation, Berlin
2021 Om, Ohm, Omega, De Electriciteitsfabriek, Den Haag. Curated by Gabriel Lester
2021 Master Writer, Murals Inc., Rotterdam
2021 Graffiti In Groningen, Groninger Museum, Groningen Netherlands
2020 Layercake The VERSUS Project I, Urban Nation, Berlin
2020 Style Masters, Museum of Graffiti, Miami
2020 Wynwood Mural Fest, online exhibition, Miami
2018 Graffiti, Helsinki Art Museum, Helsinki
2017 Nationale Opera en Ballet, Amsterdam.
2016 Banksy, Artotel Amsterdam
2016 Torenkamer Festival, Amsterdam
2015 Vitrine van Zuidoost, OBA Amsterdam
2015 Towers of Power, MoMa design store, NYC
2014 Myth & Muse, an hommage to Frida Kahlo, Go Gallery, Amsterdam
2013 1st Urban Art Biennale, Museum Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte, Völklingen
2011 10 Days of Art, Gallerie Vincent Vlasblom Art&Projects, Bergen
2011 Don’t Give A Sh*t, ODD, Bari
2011 Urban Art 21, Museum Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte, Völklingen
2010 Sweet Things, Crewest Gallery, Los Angeles
2010 Ladies First, Lev Kaupas, Amsterdam
2009 Kweens Destroy, Mc.Caig Welles Gallery, New York City
2008 Ladies With An Attitude, Tacheles Galerie, Berlin
2006 Kersvers, Post CS, Amsterdam
2005 B Girl Be, Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis
2005 SubGlob, Örebro Konsthallen, Örebro
2000 In Holland Staat Een Piece, GoGallery, Amsterdam
1993 Graffiti and Beyond, Gallerie Van Hulsen, Leeuwarden
1992 Coming From The Subway, Groninger Museum, Groningen
Selected commissioned murals
2021 Our Domain South East, entrance parking garage. Amsterdam.
2020 ‘Tunnel Into The Unknown’, Amsterdam Southeast.
2019 ‘The Alley’, De Wasserij Fashion Center, Rotterdam.
2018 Baana Bicycle track, collab with Blade, commissioned by HAM Helsinki.
2018 Interior mural in collaboration with Blade, Helsinki Art Museum, Helsinki
2014 Freedom Blue, exterior mural, Radlická, Prague.
2013 Au Bonheur Des Dames, Mural in collaboration with Paulina Olowska,
Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
2013 Vad Vi Vill/What We Want, Interior murals, Söndrumsskolan, Halmstad
2012 Entrance Imagine IC, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011 Meet ‘n Greet, Interior mural, ABN AMRO Bank head office, Amsterdam
2011 ABN AMRO Bank management board office, Amsterdam
2010 Everyone’s A Critic, in collaboration with Shok1 and ECB. Exterior mural,
Leunabunker Frankfurt Höchst,
commissioned by city of Frankfurt
2010 Interior mural, Museum Scryption, Tilburg
2009 Zuidoost Sunshine, Exterior mural, Amsterdamse Poort,
commissioned by City of Amsterdam
2008 Bijlmer Style, Exterior mural, for CD cover ‘BijlmerStyle III’, Amsterdam
2007 Royal, Exterior murals, for community center for youth and arts,
commissioned by City of Amsterdam.
2006 Kraaienest Plaza, Exterior mural, for shopping mall, commissioned by
City of Amsterdam
2001 Glitter, Exterior advertisement murals for Mariah Carrey, New York City
1999/2002 Interior murals, Café De Duivel, Amsterdam
1999 Interior mural, Colloseum, Jersey City,
1995 Interior mural, Beatrix Children's Hospital, Groningen
1994 Interior mural, Hanzehogeschool, Groningen
1993/1999 NYC: murals with Lady Pink, Daze, Zephyr, Iz The Wiz, Sach, Kase2,
Erni Vales, Klass, Claw and others.
1993 Exterior murals Emmaviaduct/-bridge in collaboration with Quik,
commissioned by the City of Groningen
1993 Facet, Interior mural, Rabobank head office, Zeist
Selected live painting:
2019 Teenage Kicks 2019, Rennes
2018 Gottsunda Hip Hop, Uppsala
2015 Carbon X, Melbourne
2014 Grolsch 400, Amterdam
2014 PastPresentFuture, Prague
2012 Forever Young, 123Klan's 20st Anniverary, New York
2012 RAW Berlin, Berlin
2011/2012 Step in the Arena, Eindhoven
2010 Where My Girls At, Historical Museum Rotterdam, Rotterdam
2010 Bling Bling Chicas, Witzenhausen Gallery, Amsterdam
2009 Parkpop, The Hague
2009 Street Science, Centrum voor Beeldende Kunst/ Centre for Fine Arts,
Rotterdam, Netherlands
2008 The Rhythm The Rebel, Zwolle
2008 We B Girls, Berlin
2008 Street Science, Rotterdam
2004/2005 Write 4 Gold, Stuttgard and Münster
2003 Fight the Power, Biel
2003/2006 Meeting of Styles, Almere and Eindhoven
2003 Blockjam, Haaksbergen
2000/2001 Drum Rhythm Festival, Amsterdam
1998 Livin' Large, München
1998 Fresh Attitude, Dunkerque
1996 Subkult, Copenhagen
1994 All Female Jam, Berlin
Selected graphic client work
1999 - 2011 Clients include: Reebok Europe, MTV Europe, University Medical
Centre Groningen, Webster Hall NYC, High Times Awards,
Groninger Museum.
Projects curated:
2021 The Hangout, Early Graffiti in Groningen and Rotterdam, co-curating for st. Kladmuur.
2014 - 2020 Bringing Keith Haring's 1986 hidden Amsterdam Mural back to the public.
2017 Graffiti, Tattoo Expo Amsterdam.
2015 ‘Graffiti. New York meets The Dam’. Guest curator at Amsterdam Museum.
1992 ‘Graffiti in Groningen’, slide show for exhibition ‘Coming from the subway’, Groninger Museum.
Selected artist talks, workshops and masterclasses:
2021 Lecture “My career as an artist without going to art academy”, Academie Minerva, Groningen.
2020 Lecture ‘Graffiti. Mirror of our Society’, Spionozalyceum, Amsterdam
2019 Lecture ‘Art Cities, graffiti in New York and Amsterdam’, University of Utrecht
2018 Lecture ‘Graffiti in the Netherlands 1979-1985’, Uppsala, Sweden
2018 Lecture ‘Graffiti and Street Art’, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
2017 Talk panel 'Keith Haring', Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
2017 Talk panel for #ViralVandals exhibition, MU art space, Eindhoven.
2017 Lecture 'Art and the Amsterdam Subway', for Urban Stories Festival, Amsterdam
2016 Lecture ‘Musicá Graffitica’ about graffiti and classical music, for
Royal Concertbuilding Orchestra, AAA festival, Amsterdam
2016 Lecture ‘Graffiti and Street Art’ for Stadslicht, Pakhuis De Zwijger, Amsterdam
2015 Lecture ‘How to value graffiti as contemprary art’, Reinwardt Academy Amsterdam
2015 Lecture ‘The history of Dutch Graffiti and the carreer of Mick la Rock',
Carbon X icw Melbourne Museum, Melbourne Australia
2015 Lecture 'Graffiti: the art form, vandalism and contemporary street art' for N8,
AmsterdamMuseum
2014 Workshop 'Keith Haring and Graffiti' for Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and
Van Abbemuseum Eindhoven
2012 Masterclass ‘Graffiti - Female Hip Hop’ for Imagine IC, Amsterdam
2001 Lecture ‘The influence of graffiti on couture fashion’ for Artemis, Amsterdam
Publications:
2020 ‘Graffiti in de Kempering’. In collaboration with Dutch Graffiti Library. Independent publication.
2015 ‘Graffiti. New York meets The Dam’. Catalog to exhibition at Amsterdam Museum.
In collaboration with Dutch Graffiti Library. Independent publication.
2014 ‘7 Compositions’ Leporello. Independent publication.
Guest author publications:
2019 ‘Throw It Out The Window’. Short essay about RAMMELLZEE in Amsterdam in the 1980's.
June 21, Catalog Chapter 1NE, Museum Het HEM.
2012 ‘Groundnut Soup from Ghana’ – The Four Elements Cookbook, FHTF Publishers
2011 ‘Mickey’ , Cause We Got Style - Rosy One, Dokument Press
2011 ‘Amsterdam Subway - inside art’, Hell Yeah Magazine, Australia
2009 ‘Confessions of a Bamboo Addict’, Hell Yeah Magazine, Australia
2001 ‘Graffiti in Groningen City’, Fuck Off Magazine, Amsterdam
1992 ‘Graffiti in Groningen’, Groninger Museum Newspaper.
Publications featuring art work:
2016 All City Queens – L.Lisowiec, UK. Independent publication.
2015 Maak het met Kunstenaars /Create with Artists, An Art Activity Book For Everyone
– R. Hulshoff & H. Piksen, BIS Publishers i.c.w. Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
2015 10x10, Mister Adam x Stickit Publications
2014 Blade, King of Graffiti – S. Ogburn, R. Gastman, C. Pape, Schiffer Publishing.
2012 The Four Elements Cookbook – G. Bachmann, FHTF Publishers.
2012 KBTR, de Utrechtse Kabouter – KBTR and R. Koopman, Booyabase Publishers.
2012 Hello our name is Lastplak and we love to paint - C. Versteeg, Trichis Publishing.
2011 Graffiti 365 – Jay Adlin, Abrams, USA.
2011 World Piecebook, Global Graffiti Drawings–S. Jenkins & D. Villorente, Prestell.
2011 Cause We Got Style, European HipHop Posing from the 80’s and early 90’s–Rosy
One, Dokument Press.
2010 Graffiti Coloring Book 2 - Jacob Kimvall, Dokument Press.
2009 Broken Windows, Graffiti NYC - James & Karla Murray, Ginko press, revised edit.
2009 Sento, The Fantastic Partners - Alain Maridueña, FHTF Publishing.
2009 Smoelwerk – De Ontwikkeling van Hip Hop in Nederland 1999-2009 - HIJS i.s.m.
Uitgeverij De Boekfabriek.
2006 Burning NewYork - James & Karla Murray Ginko Press.
2006 Graffiti Woman - N. Ganz, Thames & Hudson.
2004 Amsterdam Graffiti, The Battle of Waterloo - R. Koopman, H. Sonnemans,
M.van Tiggelen, Stadsuitgeverij Amsterdam.
2003 In Holland Staat Een Piece II - I.van Dalen, B. van den Boomen,
M. van der Meulen, Independent publication.
2002 Broken Windows, Graffiti NYC - James & Karla Murray, Ginko press.
2001 New York Graffiti - Michiko Rico Nosé, Graphic-sha Publishing Co Ltd.
2000 In Holland Staat Een Piece - I. van Dalen, Platijn Casparie press, Netherlands.
Newspaper/Magazine features:
2020 ‘Mickey’, Escapism Magazine, more info …
2018 Tramontana Magazine, more info ..
2018 'Keith Haring Mural In Amsterdam is Uncovered After Nearly 30 Years', New York Times, 26 June 2018.
2018 'Muurschildering Keith Haring Weer Te Zien', De Telegraaf, 20 Juni 2018.
2018 'Gigantische Mural Keith Haring Weer Te Zien', Het Parool, 20 Juni 2018.
2018 'Groovy Zeebeest' Van Keith Haring Komt Na 30 Jaar Weer Tevoorschijn', De Volkskrant, 23 June 2018.
2015 ‘Piece of Art’, De Volkskrant, 17 September 2015
2015 ‘We Live Art’ Arttube.nl with Aruna Vermeulen about Boymans’ graffiti collection.
2015 ‘Mick La Rock’, InkStyle Magazine, June 2012
2006 ‘Street Girls’, Modart Magazine, April/May 2006
2005 ‘Mickey’, Viva, May 2005
2000 ‘Muurbloempjes’, Reload magazine, 2000
1998 ‘Een meid die schrijft’, Het Parool, 30 May 1998
1993 ‘Graffiti van de straat’, Leeuwarder Courant, 28 May 1993
Internationally distributed documentary appearance:
2017 The Rise Of Graffiti Writing, Season 1, pt. 4/10, 5:19. ARTE TV.
2016 Girl Power Movie, director: Sany Baby. Punkfilm, Prague.
2008 Bomb It - The Movie, director: Jon Reiss. Antidote Films, New York.
Selected nationally broadcasted television appearance:
2018 Amsterdam Keith Haring Mural, NOS Journaal, 22 June 2018.
2016 Interview with RTL Z 'Van Liept Live' about the institutionalisation of graffiti/street art in musea.
2015 Kunstuur - special about Keith Haring, AVROTROS, 27 September 2015.
2015 Graffiti. New York meets The Dam. NOS Journaal, 18 September 2015
2012 Avenue de l’Europe, Les Tags, du rejet à la reconnaissance artistique,
France 3, 23 February 2012
2005 b-MTV, MTV Europe, May 2005
2003-2009 Videos for various Dutch rap artists (Ali B, Akon, Lange Frans, Dret en Krulle)
2003 MTV Europe/Reebok commercial
1992 ‘Coming From The Subway', NOVA, 03 October 1992
Education:
2005-2013 Artless, educational institute for fine art, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2004-2005 Selected for artistic training at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Netherlands
Selected for admission to the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Netherlands
1990-1996 Pedagische Academie Basis Onderwijs/Teacher's College for Primary
Education, Groningen, Netherlands
1984-1990 Augustinus College, Voortgezet Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs. City of
Groningen and City of The Hague, Netherlands
Biography:
Mick La Rock (Aileen Middel, Groningen, 1970) is one of Europe’s first and most well known female graffiti artists.
Inspired by the traditional ‘New York School’ graffiti lettering style, she started writing her name MICKEY in 1983. Conquering The Netherlands in the 80’s, she extended her playground internationally in the 90’s and 2000’s.
Established graffiti artists, a.o. Quik, Blade, Lady Pink, Iz The Wiz, Sar, Dondi, Futura, Lee Quiñones, invited her to come to New York after they met at the exhibition ‘Coming from The Subway’ at the Groninger Museum in 1992.
During the 90’s - 00’s she worked and lived in both Amsterdam and New York, where she collaborated on big mural productions and became part of the New York graffiti scene.
After mastering the art and working together with many other internationally known graffiti artists, she started to look for new challenges.
Intrigued by the question: “What does a letter do when it doesn’t have to be read anymore”, she alienates every element of her old graffiti name into abstraction, away from their original essence and composition. Her minimalistic two-dimensional and three-dimensional work show influences of brutalist mid 20st century architecture and early 20st century abstract art.
Mick La Rock graduated from the Hanzehogeschool Groningen and took classes at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy for Fine Arts, Amsterdam.
She is a member of the City Curatorial of the Municipality of Amsterdam (2019 - present).
For the Amsterdam Museum she was the guest curator for the exhibition “Graffiti. New York meets The Dam” (2015).
For the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam she painted “Au Bonheur Des Dames”, a collaborative mural with Polish artist Paulina Olowska (2013).
She featured in the graffiti art documentaries “Bomb It” (2006), ‘Girl Power Movie’ (2015), ‘The Rise of Graffiti Writing’ (2017).
Her work has been published in retrospective graffiti books like “Burning New York” – James & Karla Murray(2002), “Graffiti Woman” – Nicholas Ganz (2006), “Graffiti365” – Jay Adlin (2011), ‘World Piecebook’ – S. Jenkins & D. Villorente (2011).
She is a proud member of graffiti crews a.o. The Fantastic Partners, The Master Blasters, Clowns From Hell, Always Out Dancing and All Female Crew.