Geisha
Woodcut print on Somerset paper 25x22”
Edition of 20
Framed with AR 70 Glass and hand finished oak frame
Artist Statement - Zelga Simone Miller
Working across painting, printmaking and drawing, my work speaks of layers – of
peeling back the veneer of the everyday to uncover a sense of disquiet in an
otherwise serene scene. My practice looks beyond the physical elegance of the
line and more intensively towards the emotional vulnerability of the figure.
Rooted in an archival approach, with an appreciation of the rich potential of
drawing, my work often begins with a figure from memory or a photograph. I use a
range of media, moving between printmaking, drawing and painting, in pursuit of a
balance between a sense of stillness and dynamic fluidity.
Rosalind Galt’s 2011 book ‘Pretty: Film and the Decorative Image’ explores the
notion that colour and decoration have been downgraded as aesthetics because
they are associated with femininity and foreignness by a male-centric critical elite.
Society is conditioned to look down on prettiness and avoid it if we want to be
seen as serious-minded. It is fair to say that I am not interested in upholding such
a critical elite.
Ultimately, I see my practice as examining humankind’s actions, emotions and
subsequent resilience; I am fascinated by our capacity to adapt to adversity whilst
upholding a sense of joy and play in our lives.
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Zelga Miller, 2023