July Issue 2002
City Gallery in Charleston, SC, Presents Works by Max Miller
The City Gallery at the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston, SC, will present an exhibit of oil on board by local artist Max Miller, from July 18 through Aug.16, 2002, entitled Max Miller: In the Flesh.
In 1980, Max Miller was born into a family of artists. His earliest memory is of wanting to be an artist. Early in his childhood be taught himself to draw by copying comic book figures. Miller could not get decent artistic training at the middle and high schools he attended so he attended the Gibbes School of the Arts under the direction of Chris Bilton. Under the early direction of Professor Herb Parker, at the College of Charleston, Miller considered himself a student of sculpture until his final year of college. In 2001, he began to paint and quickly changed his focus solely on experimenting with this form of art creation.
Miller comments on his work: "Skin, gesture, drama and narrative are important elements to me when creating works. They are things I encounter daily and think about. The natural result is artwork. To myself, my work is not ambiguous, to others it may appear so, and that's fine. I want people to bring their own constructs to this work and apply it regardless of what each individual painting may signify to me, or anyone else. There are two issues I address in my artwork. The first is the superiority of intention or perception. Here I simply wish to show the beauty of the human body through the use of paint on panel. Others may immediately choose to see an 'argument', a 'religious scene or a 'rape.' The second issue in my work is the idea of control. Absolute control over one's work is essential. I must be sure of what it is I am creating, or why bother creating it? Every decision and mark is valid and deliberate. I have chosen to shun interior or background space so as not to upset the singularity and importance of the figure(s). The supports are dictated and shaped to the figures that inhabit them, rather than the reverse. The space surrounding them molds itself to their presence. The standard square or rectangle is far too limiting an option for painting the body; so often one is forced to fill a space with random, extraneous offerings to create and balance a composition they do not necessarily want, or may not match the original intention."
For more information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings or call the Office of Cultural Affairs at 843/724-7305.
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