Dallas Artist Gregory Miller’s Work, “The Bay. Nocturne” Shines at Westedge Design Fair

This past October, I had the privilege to see “The Bay.  Nocturne”, the work of  Dallas artist Gregory Miller that was designed in conjunction with Brenda Houston to commemorate the opening night party at Westedge Design Fair to benefit “Heal the Bay”, a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to making Southern California coast waters and watersheds safe, healthy and clean. (Houston is best known for her collection of high end furniture and home accessory line that utilizes objects from nature such as agate slices and petrified wood.)

While at the soirée and between sips of champagne and other fanciful nibbles and libations, I had the opportunity to talk to the man himself, artist Gregory Miller, who gave me his insight into “The Bay. Nocturne”, the work he designed for the event, as well as what inspires him as an artist.  “The Bay. Nocturne” is comprised of a series of handcrafted glazed and unglazed ceramic pieces, metal, glass, agate, and ammonites (an extinct group of marine invertebrate animals) Each individual piece is affixed to the wall with a lucite stand and protrudes from the wall at varying lengths.  Collectively, they  create a beautiful symphony of delicate and highly textured organic shapes that seem to dance effortlessly across the wall.

What I am impressed with is that each piece of ceramic is made completely by hand and endures several painstaking processes.  As delicate as each piece is (about as thin as a potato chip!), I am amazed that each is able to survive the high temperatures and handling during the entire process, let alone the packing and shipping once it is ready to be shipped to its final destination.

According to Miller , he takes notice of the variations and sometimes unpredictability of what he sees in nature, and that is what inspires him.  He designs his work to be viewed on a macro as well as micro level.  That is -as the composition as a whole as well as each piece individually, where the detail, texture, and nuances in each repeated form can be seen up close and appreciated by the viewer.

Miller states that the majority of his work is commissioned, both for corporate and private spaces, and that he also works with designers when the need arises.  He has shown in galleries locally in the Dallas area as well as in galleries and shows across the country.  If you find yourself in the Dallas area, (and I know a significant portion of my readers are in Texas) I urge you to look him up, because Gregory Miller is one artist that is not to be missed.

P.S. Did you notice the new blog design?  I hope you  like it and are finding your way around the new layout.  I still have a few kinks to work out, but I’m getting there, so be patient!