Artist and writer Harland Miller has cultivated a devoted following with his polychromatic and graphically vernacular paintings. Infused with cheeky northern English humor and refined by his lifelong love of language, Miller's work synthesizes high and low culture references, spanning literature, music, self-help manuals, and medieval iconography. His canvases are vibrant tapestries, weaving together a rich tapestry of visual and textual elements.
Miller's deep-rooted engagement with the narrative and typographical possibilities of language is evident. Reflecting on the interplay between text and image, Miller expressed, "People read before they can stop themselves; it’s automatic. Words offer a way into what you’re looking at, but no matter how integrated the text is or how much you might think it’s synthesized into the painting, there is this imbalance in terms of how much the words are doing as words."
Central to Miller's artistic practice are his iconic Penguin book cover paintings. Inspired by his chance encounter with a box of weathered Penguin Books in Paris, Miller reimagines these classic covers with his signature wit and irreverence. He transforms literary classics into playful and thought-provoking artworks through bold typography and vibrant colors. Titles like "Blonde, but not forgotten" offer a humorous twist on familiar idioms, inviting viewers to engage with the interplay between text and image.
While Miller's work pays homage to the legacy of Abstract Expressionism, he transcends traditional artistic boundaries by seamlessly integrating elements of Pop Art into his practice. His canvases pulsate with energy, featuring powerful blocks of color and abstracted forms reminiscent of Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning. Yet, Miller's playful approach to mass-produced book covers echoes the irreverence of Pop Art, challenging conventional notions of high and low culture.
Miller's artistic prowess extends beyond acclaimed paintings. He has innovatively mastered a diverse range of mediums, from hand-finished screen prints to relief etchings. His sculptural pieces, including 3D versions of his Penguin book replicas, blur the line between literature and art, inspiring viewers to reconsider the physical form of the book as an object of aesthetic contemplation.
Inscribed with his trademark witty titles, Miller’s reimagined book covers bring art into everyday life, transforming mundane objects into playful extensions of his creative vision.
