Inland, far from the hollowed buildings of the crippled cities, the burning’s presence was inescapable as its stale stench endlessly lingered in the air. Both near and far plumes of the abysmal smoke rose from the ground as the blaze orange fires continued to indiscriminately incinerate that of which lay in its path. Those who managed to survive searched for a reason or explanation for the fiery enigma; yet their minds were as clouded as the smoke at which they stared. They were alive but felt absolutely nothing. With only one decision left to make, some struggled and fought fire with fire, while others surrendered and prayed for ashes. With every passing day, the memory of what once was faded to gray, and all notions for right and wrong, good and bad hung in the balance as an uncertain future was left in the hands of the few that still remained, The Salvaged.

To salvage is a redemptive action, but it provides no means to save a person or a thing intact. To salvage is to save the vital elements and then recycle and reform them into some thing or someone new. That necessitates a process of distillation and reduction, followed by rebuilding. Miller’s salvaged ones are emblematic of our dawning era of diminishment and retrenching, of restoring hope to a world whose spent resources and spiritual impotence will require new and leaner tools for coping. As in true history paintings, Miller’s scenes of burning fields and salvaged souls are records of a personal, social and environmental crucible in which new paradigms of survival are taking shape. – Jake Seniuk

In reference of a time to come following an actual apocalyptic event that may be read metaphorically, I seek to create paintings that embody the revelation of the human condition, and create a sense of nostalgia for what once was. While exploring my current vision, I find refuge in the power and versatility of oil paint on canvas, and have deep affection for its ability to describe the three-dimensional authentically. I primarily use a dark rich color palette to create the subdued tones and distressed atmosphere associated with disaster, destruction, and desolation. In selective areas bright cadmiums break through the darkness fusing immediacy and caution together with significant contemporary symbols. It is in these intensely saturated color moments that beauty and hope are revealed to manifest their existence. The vast open spaces depicted in the foreboding landscapes abandon all objects and inhabitants, leaving them exposed and in an existential state. It is in this bewildering moment that the viewer is confronted and connected to the paradox of the painting. Individual interpretations are formed as sublime, (as defined by Edmund Berke) aesthetics influence cognition.  

By using realism to create figurative and narrative paintings, I form a relationship with contemporary artists Odd Nerdrum, Bo Bartlett, and the late Andrew Wyeth, and Anselm Kiefer. This stylistic approach also allows for a conversation that bridges the gap to the nineteenth century painters Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, and Jules Bastien-Lepage, which leads directly back to arguably the greatest painter ever, Rembrandt. I feel connected to these artists based on the power of paint and image.

As for other sources of inspiration, I draw upon moments of my youth, coincidences, dreams, thoughts, books, religious beliefs, and other people. I am intrigued and often mystified by the wonder and power of personal experience and its relationship to time, reality, and delusion. Though the paintings I create may not always be easily read, I find it beautiful that they are subject to different interpretation, and raise open-ended questions. To the great extent at which the paintings embody bewilderment, they also hint at an underlying notion of purpose and possible providence.