Andy Miller

Abstract Composition

1988

Andy Miller, born in St. Louis, Missouri, is an American abstract artist currently residing in Brooklyn, New York. He earned his BFA from Cooper Union in 1972. Miller has dedicated himself to the exploration of abstraction, viewing painting as a 'compelling, surprising, exciting departure and foray into the realm housed within a rectangle, a plane both concrete and yet outside of the world.' His artistic process is one of intense engagement, described as 'a discipline that allows for no false moves while allowing for the unexpected, the unintended, the unanticipated.' Miller describes the pursuit of beauty in painting as 'fraught with exuberance and despair, along with those miraculous stretches or moments of ease, like a breath,' emphasizing the crucial role of artistic community and historical context, drawing inspiration from 'peers and those on the museum walls, Giotto and onward.' He acknowledges the challenge of perception, noting the 'peculiar phenomenon' of a painting's ever-shifting presence, a 'perceptual glitch' that he sees as a 'message of transubstantiation, of faith,' affirming the potential for wholeness and completeness. Miller's work reflects a journey without a 'map,' a constant navigation between 'a place to stand,' 'a place to leap from,' and 'a ledge to crawl back onto at times.'