After II

Oil on paper on 12.75″ x 14.25″ panel

Artist Statement: Inspired by the power of a contemporary hurricane, and the subject matter of the 19th Century American Painter, Winslow Homer, After II depicts four female figures who have come out to wade at the water’s edge after a storm. Their clothing blows in the wind and reflects the colored light of a changing sky. Gestures of uneasy equilibrium, they ponder the state of things; what’s left, and what’s left unsaid. 

I focus primarily on the human figure depicted in environments that create a context for psychologically charged open-ended narratives. Many of these narratives explore ideas about power and vulnerability.  

Quality of light is a common theme. In particular, the way in which atmospheric light and locale can suggest a sense of mystery and silence. These works are dark, humid and hopefully, at their best, memorable. For me, the most successful are those that evoke the feeling that an event is about to happen or has recently happened.  

Images of figures or figures in landscapes, in groups or in isolation, share a common feeling of significance. Wholly absorbed within themselves or the dialogue shared between one another, they wait for the unfolding of their private story. 

Joseph A. Miller is an Associate Professor of Art at S.U.N.Y. Buffalo State, where he has taught drawing and painting since 1997. Miller’s work is in numerous public and private collections, and has been shown internationally in Finland, China, Poland and the Czech Republic, as well as across the United States, from Berkeley, California to Cambridge, Massachusetts. His work is represented by the Art Dialogue Gallery in Buffalo, NY, Meibohm Fine Art in East Arora, NY and the West End Gallery in Corning, NY. 

A Song for Joseph