John Miller Analyzes Mike Kelley's Educational Complex in New Afterall Book
Afterall has published a new book in its One Work series focusing on Mike Kelley's 1995 artwork Educational Complex. Author John Miller examines the piece through three lenses: the representation of Kelley's schools and childhood home as architectural models, popular fantasies tied to false memory syndrome, and the liberal democratic premises of education. The work presents forgotten spaces as subjective frames for trauma, whether real or imagined. Miller argues that Kelley expands his broader political and aesthetic concerns—grassroots politics, religious systems, social class—to test the ideological horizon of art as an institution. The paperback is available via MIT Press.
Key facts
- Mike Kelley's Educational Complex was created in 1995.
- The book is part of Afterall's One Work series.
- Author John Miller approaches the work through architectural, psychological, and political lines of inquiry.
- The artwork presents forgotten spaces as subjective frames for trauma.
- Kelley worked with a wide range of media exploring grassroots politics, religious systems, and social class.
- Miller shows that Educational Complex tests the ideological horizon of art as an institution.
- The publication is available as a paperback.
- It can be purchased or previewed via MIT Press.
Entities
Artists
- Mike Kelley
- John Miller
Institutions
- Afterall
- MIT Press
Sources
- Afterall —