Le Salon Vert is delighted to be presenting, for the second time, the work of Melanie Miller, a British artist whose paintings follow the classic tradition of still life, and which are primarily inspired by her immediate environment.
Melanie Miller creates her oil paintings on wooden panels, which she prepares with gesso herself. In a lengthy process, building up layers of paint, retouching – and sometimes erasing – as she goes, so as to achieve a distinctive depth and intensity, with renderings that are subtle yet charged with ambiguity. On dark backgrounds, motifs are arranged theatrically and highlighted by the contrasting colors.
She recently developed a series of dioramas – small boxes featuring painted parts, collages, embroidery, found or cast objects, as well as plants. These three-dimensional installations are mounted with optical lenses that allow viewers to illuminate them with their mobile phones, revealing, as they peer in, mysterious and enchanting worlds. Like a journey through chiaroscuro, these small landscapes conjure up dreams, myths, and imaginary worlds, into which visitors are invited to project their own feelings and memories.
After earning a B.A hons in Fine Art at Maidstone College (UK) and an M.A. in Painting at Wimbledon School of Art (UK), Melanie Miller has taken part in numerous group as well as solo exhibitions in the UK, where she is represented by Long and Ryle Gallery. Shortlisted for the Threadneedle Prize and in 2023 for the Contemporary British Painting Prize, she has been exhibited at London Art Fair Islington and the Royal Academy of Arts Summer exhibition from 2002 to 2013, and again from 2015 to 2022.
