Third Space II, 2025 

rehydrated acrylic, India ink and conte on upcycled canvas, framed in discarded ornament

9” x 11”

Third Spaces, or Third Places, are vital in establishing equitable and accessible community connections. Third spaces ideally facilitate inter-demographic interactions and are offered without hierarchies of transaction to participate. Credited in name to sociologist Ray Oldenburg, Third Spaces are successful when fulfilling these key qualities: they’re not predicated on individual entertaining, offer an equitable threshold of participation, bring together disparate communities, and are structured to promote inclusive attendance regardless of disability, race, class or creed.

in his book The Great Good Place, Oldenburg classifies these qualities as “neutral ground, levelling, conversation hubs and accessible” (Oldenburg, 1999). While presenting a strong and necessary subject for consideration, the book tends towards a bias for men. Building on Oldenburg’s important work, Mikell envisions a imagined third space of endless possibility, where disabled women build social capital while engaging in natural spaces with high biodiversity, settings in which disabled people often experience greater hurdles to engage.

consistent with Mikell’s practice, this piece is composed entirely of repurposed materials diverted from cycles of disuse, in an effort to mitigate industry waste. As a result, imperfections to the surfaces of frames and canvases are to be expected. Please contact the artist with further inquiries about production.