Michael Miller’s upcoming solo show at Abend Gallery is a tribute to rural America in all her stunning simplicity. The pieces in this series almost feel like portraits of people—Miller paints his barns from a straight-on perspective placed in the center of the composition. And each barn is wholly unique, with many appearing decrepit or abandoned.
Amish House Before the Storm, oil on panel, 9 x 12"
The artist finds inspiration in traveling around his home of Medina, Ohio, in the northeast region of the state, about 35 miles southwest of Cleveland. “While the majority of my work is not fully based on specific scenes and locations, I do get inspired by existing places. When I’m driving through the countryside, I tend not to be moved by the ‘idyllic pretty farm.’ I’m much more interested in a farm or barn that seems to confront me,” he explains. “They have to seem defiant, proud of their usefulness, and yet a sense of melancholy that can only come from the slight weathering of the boards, a hint that their best days are in the past. I also take into consideration the type of farm it is. I’m partial to Amish farms as I live in an area heavily populated by them. I’m also fond of colonial era farms. Both have a simplistic nature that I find beautiful.”
Homestead, oil on linen panel, 9 x 12"
Miller adds that he’s been on barn scouting trips all through the Midwest and eastern Pennsylvania, gathering ideas for future paintings.
Both Amish House Before the Storm and Homestead are scenes loosely based on an area close to the artist’s home. “With Amish HouseI wanted to take a seemingly mundane scene and make a statement out of it,” says Miller. The oil has a decidedly ominous quality to it, a lone white house under heavy storm clouds that cast a dramatic green over the entire scene. “By centering the main house and taking a straight-on approach to the composition, I hope to compel the viewer to contend with structure and to admire the simplicity of its shape,” says Miller. “The backdrop of the storm creates a strong narrative, a sense of drama and urgency. My hope is that this sense of urgency will take the viewer out of the role of observer and make them a participant in the painting.”
Barn in the Fog, oil on panel, 10 x 10"
The bucolic Homestead takes a more expansive approach, featuring several white buildings in a massive crop field, dwarfed by a big red barn. The painting is a tribute to an Amish farm Miller says he used to drive by every day. “It’s one of those scenes that most people would pass by without ever giving a second thought to,” he says. “When you’re just driving by a farm, the majority of the time you spend looking at it, if at all, the farm will be at an angle—a landscape with a farm in it. My goal with Homestead, along with the rest of my work, is to paint a farm with a landscape in it. I want to give the viewer time to take in the scene and dwell on what it must be like to live in that world.”
Morning Light, oil on panel, 10 x 10"
Miller uses photo references sparingly, as he’s not trying to depict an exact record of a specific location. Rather, he’s aiming to capture the essence of a place, making creative changes as he goes along. “I tend to draw the basic structures from memory and then add a few specific details that I like from my references. While I try to stay true to the typography of the surrounding landscape, I do make up significant portions of it,” he says. “The weather in each painting is usually completely made up. Weather is the unsung hero in many of my paintings. Whether it be a storm to help add narrative or a shadow-covered foreground to help push the eye toward the subject, it is a crucial element in setting the mood.”
Heartland: Michael Miller Solo Exhibition opens with a reception on September 20 from 5 to 8 p.m. and hangs through October 8. —
Abend Gallery 1261 Delaware Street, Suite 2 Denver, CO 80204 • (303) 355-0950 • www.abendgallery.com
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