Chris Miller. Push.

About

In his current body of work, Chris Miller takes formal cues from organic, geologic, and anthropomorphic sources, often blending them intuitively to create objects that are vaguely familiar yet undefinable. His first exhibition at Craig Krull Gallery, entitled Push, demonstrates Miller's belief in chance and unexpected occurrences in artmaking. Risk is a fundamental aspect of his process and, as he states, "each piece must be on the brink of failure." His ceramics are fired as many times as necessary to develop their complex surfaces and color. Sometimes this happens after a single firing. Often, works are fired six or more times with successive layers of material and glaze to achieve their final state. They are both monstrous and beautiful, intuitive and strategic, honest and impolite. His sculptures are visceral combines, presenting "uncertain scenarios where something vital has been forgotten or lost." Miller is a professor of art at California State University Long Beach which fosters one of the most respected and fertile ceramics communities in the world.