Gary Millers Art
Whimsical Fantasy Art
Artist Statement
“My art is a visual reaction to the physical world by the frequent use of non-art materials. These materials excite my imagination and allow me to manipulate the forms in fresh ways.
One of my materials of choice is credit cards, which I use as a format for my musings of the visual world. This started with the typical process of cutting up an expired credit card when I was struck with the idea that I should draw on them instead! What would be a more meaningful symbol than this 2x3 inch piece of plastic that allows us all to exchange income for goods and services? What a perfect format to deface and morph into Art!
As with any new medium, an artist has to figure ways to express ideas and feelings while tackling problems inherent with such a reduced scale. After trial and error in dealing with all the raised numbers on the cards, I came up with a process that helped me resolve everyday design problems like composition and color within this challenging format. I do sketches on paper in the same size as the credit card, select the best ones and transform them into silhouettes. I stencil the silhouettes onto the cards. The stencil process allows me to see the forms clearly while hand carving the final design.
I see all my pieces as a reflection of my sense of humor. Some people who prefer to classify what they see have said that these are colored engravings, while others think of them as low-relief sculptures. In any case, I enjoy making my art and I hope you will find them engaging.”
