Hello, and welcome to my page.
As an Artist it is my great joy to explore the possibility of what may be with you. In this web space I have tried to enumerate who I am, what I have done and what may be. If this coincides with your intention in some way then know that I look forward to working with you.
Darren Miller.
As an Artist it is my great joy to explore the possibility of what may be with you. In this web space I have tried to enumerate who I am, what I have done and what may be. If this coincides with your intention in some way then know that I look forward to working with you.
Darren Miller.
Getting Involved
Artist Statement
The manifestations of order that dissemble as chaos are the building blocks of the architecture of being and become the patterns of colliding forces that emerge to inform each moments’ contemplation and purpose. While carrying the weight of history, struggling under the burden of ritual and beset by the worries of order, purpose coalesces, and, strengthened by the confidence of experience, emboldened by the labors of martyrs, and freed from limitation by the application of principle the impulse to explore purpose in the infinitude of possibility is expressed, thus art becomes a metaphor for life.
My work is an attempt to pattern this process as manifest by my particular capacity. You will notice that my pieces are single units. There is no prosaic story and there are no defined relationships to extrinsic objects. They are a series of decisions, working through the contemplations of composition, balance and form in an extemporaneous, biomorphic fashion. Gestural abstract expressionism in metal, more or less.
If you choose one of my pieces my hope is that it will find a place in your story, becoming a brushstroke layered into the artwork that is your life and that it will help clarify to the world the person you are, or, give meaning to contemplation.
Or maybe you simply enjoy them. Good enough!
The manifestations of order that dissemble as chaos are the building blocks of the architecture of being and become the patterns of colliding forces that emerge to inform each moments’ contemplation and purpose. While carrying the weight of history, struggling under the burden of ritual and beset by the worries of order, purpose coalesces, and, strengthened by the confidence of experience, emboldened by the labors of martyrs, and freed from limitation by the application of principle the impulse to explore purpose in the infinitude of possibility is expressed, thus art becomes a metaphor for life.
My work is an attempt to pattern this process as manifest by my particular capacity. You will notice that my pieces are single units. There is no prosaic story and there are no defined relationships to extrinsic objects. They are a series of decisions, working through the contemplations of composition, balance and form in an extemporaneous, biomorphic fashion. Gestural abstract expressionism in metal, more or less.
If you choose one of my pieces my hope is that it will find a place in your story, becoming a brushstroke layered into the artwork that is your life and that it will help clarify to the world the person you are, or, give meaning to contemplation.
Or maybe you simply enjoy them. Good enough!
Biography
The family manufacturing business was destroyed by a fire while Darren was attending college. He chose to drop out and return home to help rebuild. Two important events occurred as a result; Darren was given the opportunity to learn and explore the creation process of the machine tool industry and he met Will Wright who would become an incredible mentor. Will had developed vast skills and knowledge over the years and spent his time on projects anywhere from souping up Model T’s to pieces that would be acquired by the Illinois State Museum. He was eager to share his knowledge with Darren as they worked together to rebuild the business to full functionality. They remain dear friends, and at 105 years old, Will is an inspiration, source of wisdom and plain good companion.
Darren’s sister received her BFA in pottery and Darren found great pleasure in assisting her in the development of the production process of her work. She regularly participated in juried art/craft shows while pursuing her pottery career. She sensed something her in her brother and suggested he try his hand at sculpture. Being an obedient brother, he did. While Darren did not sell anything at his first show, a spark was struck.
After ten years of testing the waters by participating in a few juried shows a year he developed his style and aesthetic. Much time, energy and capital had been invested with little to no payoff. Darren’s relevance to the world was left to be proven. If one is to make a living as an artist, a patron must materialize in some shape or form. He struggled to find an audience eager for his artwork and with the manufacturing business diminished to unsustainable levels he found himself at the point of having to decide whether to leave it all behind or not. He traveled to what he believed might be his final show and unexpectedly found his audience. A sell-out show was the undeniable proof Darren had been waiting for. There was now evidence that an audience did in fact exist and presented a purpose to express his artistic vision.
The ability to create tools led Darren to the development of a large cache of custom tools which enable him to create his work. Early in his career he was introduced to Paul Klee and developed his oeuvre into the manifestation of a process similar to the inclusion in Klees’ work of creatures that might exist if natural selection happened to move that way. Darren’s process has engendered the ability to produce biomorphic objects which look as though they could exist, somewhere in the realm of Art Nouveau and Gestural Abstract Expressionism. He describes his work as “lines relationship to line, moving through the implied volumes of form, shaping space, thereby creating an object”. Darren’s work evolved into kinetic sculpture as the manifestation of this process interacted with the audience.
Darren is an autodidact with no formal art school training but a massive library. His background as a machinist / metal fabricator, pen and ink artist, avid windsurfer and hobby fiddler are invaluable tools which have created a unique skill set that has engendered the ability to improvise in the intractable medium of metal, and, ensured that the large pieces which have been installed outdoors for many years have proven to be durable through tornado and hurricane.
The family manufacturing business was destroyed by a fire while Darren was attending college. He chose to drop out and return home to help rebuild. Two important events occurred as a result; Darren was given the opportunity to learn and explore the creation process of the machine tool industry and he met Will Wright who would become an incredible mentor. Will had developed vast skills and knowledge over the years and spent his time on projects anywhere from souping up Model T’s to pieces that would be acquired by the Illinois State Museum. He was eager to share his knowledge with Darren as they worked together to rebuild the business to full functionality. They remain dear friends, and at 105 years old, Will is an inspiration, source of wisdom and plain good companion.
Darren’s sister received her BFA in pottery and Darren found great pleasure in assisting her in the development of the production process of her work. She regularly participated in juried art/craft shows while pursuing her pottery career. She sensed something her in her brother and suggested he try his hand at sculpture. Being an obedient brother, he did. While Darren did not sell anything at his first show, a spark was struck.
After ten years of testing the waters by participating in a few juried shows a year he developed his style and aesthetic. Much time, energy and capital had been invested with little to no payoff. Darren’s relevance to the world was left to be proven. If one is to make a living as an artist, a patron must materialize in some shape or form. He struggled to find an audience eager for his artwork and with the manufacturing business diminished to unsustainable levels he found himself at the point of having to decide whether to leave it all behind or not. He traveled to what he believed might be his final show and unexpectedly found his audience. A sell-out show was the undeniable proof Darren had been waiting for. There was now evidence that an audience did in fact exist and presented a purpose to express his artistic vision.
The ability to create tools led Darren to the development of a large cache of custom tools which enable him to create his work. Early in his career he was introduced to Paul Klee and developed his oeuvre into the manifestation of a process similar to the inclusion in Klees’ work of creatures that might exist if natural selection happened to move that way. Darren’s process has engendered the ability to produce biomorphic objects which look as though they could exist, somewhere in the realm of Art Nouveau and Gestural Abstract Expressionism. He describes his work as “lines relationship to line, moving through the implied volumes of form, shaping space, thereby creating an object”. Darren’s work evolved into kinetic sculpture as the manifestation of this process interacted with the audience.
Darren is an autodidact with no formal art school training but a massive library. His background as a machinist / metal fabricator, pen and ink artist, avid windsurfer and hobby fiddler are invaluable tools which have created a unique skill set that has engendered the ability to improvise in the intractable medium of metal, and, ensured that the large pieces which have been installed outdoors for many years have proven to be durable through tornado and hurricane.
Awards
2016 Excellence in Craft – The Bruce Museum Craft Fair, Greenwich, CT
Third Place, Sculpture – The Bruce Museum Art Fair, Greenwich, CT
Best in Show – Cedarhurst Art and Craft Fair, Mt. Vernon, IL
2013 First Place, Sculpture – Springfield Old Capitol Art Fair, Springfield, IL.
2012 Best of Category, Sculpture – Midwest Salute to the Arts, Fairview Heights, IL
Second Place, Sculpture – St. John’s River Festival of the Arts, Sanford, FL
2011 First Place, Sculpture – Arts in Central Park, Decatur, IL
Best of Illinois Artist Award – Cedarhurst Craft Fair, Mt. Vernon, IL
2010 First Place, Sculpture – Highland Art in the Park, Highland, IL
2008 First Place – Art Spectacular at the Carrilon, Springfield, IL
2016 Excellence in Craft – The Bruce Museum Craft Fair, Greenwich, CT
Third Place, Sculpture – The Bruce Museum Art Fair, Greenwich, CT
Best in Show – Cedarhurst Art and Craft Fair, Mt. Vernon, IL
2013 First Place, Sculpture – Springfield Old Capitol Art Fair, Springfield, IL.
2012 Best of Category, Sculpture – Midwest Salute to the Arts, Fairview Heights, IL
Second Place, Sculpture – St. John’s River Festival of the Arts, Sanford, FL
2011 First Place, Sculpture – Arts in Central Park, Decatur, IL
Best of Illinois Artist Award – Cedarhurst Craft Fair, Mt. Vernon, IL
2010 First Place, Sculpture – Highland Art in the Park, Highland, IL
2008 First Place – Art Spectacular at the Carrilon, Springfield, IL