From John Miller’s first solo exhibition at Newlyn Art Gallery in 1961, his national and international exposure as an artist made him one of the best-known and best-loved 20th Century British painters. Images of Miller’s paintings have found their way across the globe and many people will ‘know’ him from prints and cards, if not from the paintings themselves.
In the far west of Cornwall, where he lived from 1958 onwards, many people also knew, and loved, the man himself. A character of tremendous warmth and humility, he endeared himself to everyone he met, making friends with people from all walks of life, and prompting a deep sense of communal loss when he died, too soon, in 2002.
This exhibition celebrates the life and work of this important artist, looking back over his long career. Despite being an artist whose images are so well known, the show will come as a revelation to most visitors, since Miller’s work is far more extensive than many will realise. Curated by Heather Corbett of Truran Books (who published ‘Seeing is Believing’ with John Miller in 2001), in collaboration with Michael Truscott, the exhibition includes examples of work from every stage of Miller’s career.
Miller’s style changed considerably in the span of his career, but in each style of work he found his own persona. Which manner of expression he chose depended to some extent on date – the muted tones and black outlines of his earliest works do not outlast the 1960s, for example – but were often linked to subject, season and mood, with Miller choosing the mode of expression he felt suited the occasion. As this show demonstrates, whether he was producing cool, tightly draughted treescapes of Sancreed; vividly coloured, loosely painted Penwith landscapes; gently impressionistic views of Venice; austere images of architectural forms; spiritually rich ‘interior-scapes’; mellow watercolours, or the boldly minimal beach paintings for
which he is best known, Miller found his own unique voice and produced works of unwavering quality. The exhibition, sponsored by W. H. Lane and Sons Fine Art Auctioneers (Penzance) and Truran Books, is accompanied by a small printed catalogue, which includes the text of the valedictory speech given by David Cornwell at John Miller’s Memorial Service in August 2002, along with a list of the paintings on show.
