R.A. Miller
Folk Artist
R.A. MILLER
Born in 1912 in Gainesville,
Georgia, R.A.
Miller
is a Baptist minister who began creating art to help spread the word
of God.
His backyard on Windy Hill is filled with wonderfully whimsical
mechanical whirligigs, and he's created a wide variety of drawings,
paintings and tin cutouts. His signature images are of animals,
dinosaurs, devils, and his "Blow Oskar" series, a heralding angel of
sorts (perhaps a fallen one) based on a neighbor, a cousin who
always blows his horn wildly whenever he drives past.
Twenty years ago
Miller
was
brought to the attention of a wide audience through an Atlanta
television program and a music video by the internationally famous
rock group R.E.M. then based in Athens, Georgia. At that time,
Windy
Hill was covered
with nearly 300 Whirligigs and cutout tin figures and was already
a common subject of photographers and film crews.
One interesting
note about R.A. is that although
has become increasingly well known across folk and visionary art
circles, he has barely raised his prices over the years. Typical
prices range from $50 for a small piece artwork and desirable
signature pieces can still be purchased for under $300. A warning, however, must
be given to anyone collecting Miller's work -- since his glaucoma worsened, he very rarely
finishes any of the later tin pieces now on the market himself
--Most are made by family members under his supervision. Many
tin pieces "made" by Miller over the last few years were probably painted,
at least in part, by a family member. However, R.A. continued making drawings and
templates, mostly with markers for completion on wood, tin or
slate.
To find more information
on R.
A. Miller
see Raw
Vision Magazine
#36
(http://www.rawvision.com/rawvision/current/miller/miller.html)
or contact: webmaster@razoogallery.com
contact
RaZoo GaLLery
(954) 663-3888
webmaster@razoogallery.com
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