Thoughtful Art of Joseph A. Miller: Stories of Light, Mystery, and the Human Figure

Joseph A. Miller is an Associate Professor of Art at S.U.N.Y. Buffalo State University, 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.

Artistic Focus: Human Figures, Light, and Open-Ended Narratives

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, as well as enchantment and play. Children are often featured because they play games of make-believe.

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.

Artist Website: Joseph A. Miller