GREG MILLER: True Romance - Exhibition Video

Working in his signature blend of photorealism, gestural abstraction, and mixed-media collage, Miller constructs what might be described as visual archaeology. His compositions are not passive reflections of bygone Americana but rather active interrogations of how memory, media, and identity are constructed. Like an anthropologist of postwar culture, Miller peels back the layers of the American psyche, embedding his canvases with found texts, clipped advertisements, and iconographic symbols that shaped mid-century ideals of beauty, power, and romance.

While rooted in the seductive visual language of the 1950’s and 60’s, Miller’s work resists simple nostalgia. The cracked surfaces, distressed textures, and time-worn materials suggest not preservation but erosion—an acknowledgment that the past is as much invention as recollection. The romanticism embedded in these works—echoed in the exhibition’s title—is deliberately ambivalent, positioned somewhere between genuine longing and critical detachment.

Los Angeles, Miller’s longtime home and an enduring muse, reappears here as both setting and subject. Its palm-lined streets, glamour-soaked iconography, and ever-present mythos provide the perfect backdrop for the artist’s ongoing dialogue with American visual culture. In Miller’s hands, LA becomes a collage of its own: sexy, mysterious, dangerous. 

True Romance is more than a nostalgic ode; it is a cinematic montage of American desire, loss, and reinvention. Like the pulp novels and romance comics it references, each piece in the show contains a narrative—some suggested, some obscured, all inviting exploration. In Miller’s world, nothing exists in a vacuum; every image, every word is part of a larger, layered story. And in tracing those layers, we find not just echoes of a collective past, but clues to how that past continues to shape our present.

Greg Miller (b. 1951) was born in Sacramento, California and holds a Master of Arts Degree from San Jose University. Once a long-time Venice, California resident, he currently resides in LA, CA & Austin, Texas. His work is featured in numerous museum and private collections, including those of: the San Jose Museum of Art, Newport Harbor Museum, Crocker Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Laguna Art Museum, Riverside Art Museum,  Frederick R. Weisman Foundation and Charles Saatchi Foundation. The Get Go, a volume of his writings, photography and paintings was published in 2010, and the first comprehensive monograph of the artist, Signs of the Nearly Actual, was published in 2009.

Digital Exhibition Catalogs for Greg Miller: True Romance & Jennifer Wolf: Utopalypse

William Turner Gallery currently has two solo shows on view: "Greg Miller: True Romance" and "Jennifer Wolf: Utopalypse". Jennifer Wolf’s art practice is deeply rooted in her personal connection to the Southern Californian landscape: she makes her own dyes and pigments, combining organic materials with state-of-the-art acrylic mediums. Her latest series –  “Utopalypse” – consists of highly evocative abstract pieces on silk mounted on wood. Greg Miller combines layered collages of ephemera collected from the 1950’s and 1960’s with large-scale, photorealistic paintings styled after the golden age of advertising and Americana. Much like an archaeologist delving into the layers of the earth to uncover fragments of the past, Miller digs into the layers of images and text to uncover hidden clues and meanings. Both “True Romance” and “Utopalypse” are ongoing through Saturday, August 16, and digital catalogs are available to view on the William Turner Gallery website.

Jennifer Wolf holds a BA in Art History from UCLA and an MFA from Otis College of Art and Design. A lifelong California resident, she has exhibited widely and has collaborated with William Turner Gallery since her first solo show in 2004.

Greg Miller (b. 1951) was born in Sacramento, California and holds a Master of Arts Degree from San Jose University. Once a long-time Venice, California resident, he currently resides in LA, CA & Austin, Texas. His work is featured in numerous museum and private collections, including those of: the San Jose Museum of Art, Newport Harbor Museum, Crocker Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Laguna Art Museum, Riverside Art Museum,  Frederick R. Weisman Foundation and Charles Saatchi Foundation.  Greg Miller was the first exhibition at William Turner Gallery in 1991.  

VISUAL ATELIER 8 - An interview with Casper Brindle, Master of Light, Color, and Sensory Exploration

VISUAL ATELIER 8

An interview with Casper Brindle, Master of Light, Color, and Sensory Exploration

Image: Rob Brander for William Turner Gallery

Exploring the enchanting world of Casper Brindle
Jaimy Favela Le

Casper Brindle, a contemporary artist rooted in the 1960s & 70s Light and Space movement, explores the expressive possibilities of color, light, and form in his paintings. From vibrant technicolor to subtle monochromatic hues, Casper Brindle’s work consistently features a central focus, drawing viewers into enigmatic spaces of perception. Influenced by the Finish Fetish and Light and Space movements, he masterfully employs color reminiscent of Mark Rothko and Jules Olitski, creating immersive fields that evoke deep emotional responses.

Casper Brindle’s paintings, influenced by Southern California’s car culture, utilize airbrushed sprays for atmospheric depth, demonstrating a synthesis of diverse artistic sensibilities. Born in Toronto in 1968, Brindle, now based in Los Angeles, has exhibited internationally and is held in prestigious collections like the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation.

It is an incredible occasion to be able to chat with Casper Brindle about his awe-inspiring and sensory artwork! We would love to know what you think your child-self would think of you now as such an accomplished artist? What do you think little Casper would say to you? And what would he think about your expansive body of work? Is he glowing with pride?

Thank you for the kind words. I think Little Casper would be happy with my accomplishments so far. There is something innately childish about being a professional artist. Experimenting and “playing” with the materials in front of you. I could compare it to the feeling of playing with toys in the preschool sandbox. I am forever grateful to have had such a supportive mother, a terrific illustrator and designer in her own right. I’m deeply fortunate that I am able to make a living doing what I’m very passionate about.

What a wild trip it is to take in your illuminating works that seem to unfold more of themselves, the more you spend time with them and interact with the space them. We would love to know more about how you went from utilizing LED tubes for lighting up a painting to now being able to skillfully achieve an effect of illumination by using only color. What was the process like for you personally?

Yes, for years I was incorporating and embedding LED lights into my paintings and never really found what I was looking for. I was yearning for a certain magic, a more organic quality which the artificial light provided by the LEDs could never achieve. What most interests me is the manipulation of light, whether it be with refraction in an encapsulated form, such as the light glyphs, or using paints that intentionally transform as you walk around the works. Materiality is a primary principle of my practice as I have spent years experimenting with the applications of different materials.

Your work speaks to the auras felt when perceiving colors, light, a core, and atmospheric spaces. Contemplation about perception and connecting with the presence are a couple things that come from immersing oneself in your body of work. Do you think your work reflects these experiences from the living world or is it its own concentration of sensory conjuration?

Both. I think the materials are a grounding force for the pieces, whereas the treatment and color perception of the materials allow for the pieces to become almost otherworldly. However, the orchestrated fabrication of the pieces reflects the organized chaos of both the natural and the built environment that surrounds us.

What dream settings do you envision your colorful works in? Are there particular places in the world that you hope to bring your art to?

Of course, artists are always fantasizing about ideal settings for our work – Museums, major collections, within prominent public and architectural venues. I am no different and have been thrilled to have my work acquired and shown by museums, like the Weisman Museum, The Luckman, Lancaster Museum of Art, the new Frank Gehry hotel in LA and by a number prominent collectors. Looking ahead, I have an exhibition planned in Brussels at Gallery La Patinoire Royale, Valerie Bach, in April of 2024 and will be showing new paintings and sculpture that I am presently working on and excited about.

Soon following, I will be focused on my Los Angeles exhibition in September at the William Turner Gallery. Possibly less traditionally, I’d love to explore placing my work in “atypical” settings: a foggy forrest, a beach, a desert. Changing the context changes the piece. A glowing object in the middle of nowhere tells a much different story than a painting hung on a white wall of a gallery. Hmm, could this be a short film? You’ve got the wheels turning!

We also know that you are also a sculptor. Can you divulge a bit about how this way of creating your art differs in from how you approach making your paintings? Taking something that you typically form on a 2D surface to a 3D realm?

The three dimensional work is more of an elaborate, organized process, compared to the typical trance I’m in while I’m painting. With my paintings, I’m just going on rapid fire instincts in a meditative state. With the sculptural work it’s about logical problem solving. Like a puzzle. The Light Glyph sculptural works are expanded iterations of the Portal Glyph paintings -They just extend into three dimensions. Both explore the same theory, but within different mediums and materialities.

Maybe a comparable example is the painter as an actor and the sculptor as the director in theater or film. The actor is always reacting to a situation in front of them instinctively, but the director (sculptor) is planning the entire vision out before the production has begun. Two different processes for me, neither better than the other. Although, I enjoy the visceral process of painting more, both outcomes are equally fulfilling.

What does abstraction mean to you? Describe to us the way you philosophize the human senses in response to abstract visualizations that imbue a particular experience.

I’m in search of something beyond, something that can be truly simple and complex. Making my work is a selfish act, as I’m making the painting or sculpture solely for myself, to release it from my mind, without thinking about how they will be seen or felt. It’s a place where I can be hyper focused yet, in a meditative state. The artwork may be used as a conduit for the viewers own experiences, but I would never force a narrative onto them. Abstraction to me is being free of story telling or narration. To create a work based on raw emotions or even lack of emotions. Free of rules. The freedom to dance any way you like.

What does the process of dreaming up a painting or sculpture look like for you? Is it the case that the end result always matches the first drop of inspiration?

My paintings or sculptural works come to me usually in solitude, whether that be just before bed or alone in my studio. With my paintings, I may have an idea to explore, but rarely do they end up visually resembling my initial thoughts. I find in painting the decisions are made quickly and based on instinct. Sculpture for me is a much more thought out concept as you are dealing with construction and fabricating a well explored object with prototyping all while aiming to achieve the concept that was originally in my head.

What has been a major highlight for you as an artist so far? What sort of new things are you seeking to further your creative endeavors? Any personal revelations that you wish to share over the years?

My highlights constantly change as I grow, but a recent noteworthy highlight was working with Mika Cho who curated my Museum exhibition at The Luckman space at California State University Los Angeles. It was a phenomenal show and experience. Cho’s execution
and presentation were terrific. Constantly thinking of new ideas, projects, materials and collaborations, I know there is always something inspiring around the corner. It’s important to do the work you enjoy as opposed to chasing trends. I believe that if you do your own thing, a thing you are truly passionate about, everything will eventually fall into place.

ANDY MOSES: Recent Paintings - Exhibition Catalog Now Available

A 68 page fully illustrated print copy of the catalog will be available next Tuesday. Please contact the gallery to purchase a copy at info@williamturnergallery.com.

William Turner Gallery is pleased to present the exhibition catalog for Andy Moses: Recent Paintings, a compelling exhibition of new large-scale works by Los Angeles-based artist, Andy Moses. The exhibition will run from September 9th through November 11th, 2023.

Recent Paintings is an excitingly ambitious new body of work, showcasing an artist fully engaged and at the height of his creative process. Blurring the line between abstraction and a new kind of pictorialism, Moses utilizes techniques that facilitate his almost obsessive study of the alchemical properties of paint.  

Utilizing a method that is completely unique and developed outside the realm traditional painting techniques, Andy has pioneered a new language of paint, one with its own tools and materials.  Every element of these pieces have been painstakingly examined.  Technology in the form of complex vacuum sealed chambers has been invented to assist in producing the works and even the structures on which the painting rests are extraordinary engineering feats of their own.  The end result are stunningly beautiful, highly crafted, and perfectly executed works of art done in a method that has never been seen on any painting in the entire history of art.  

Born in Los Angeles in 1962, Andy Moses attended the legendary CalArts from 1979-1981, studying with John Baldessari, Michael Asher and Barbara Kruger. In 1982, Moses moved to New York where he worked as a studio assistant to Pat Steir and quickly became part of New York's nascent art scene. Moses began exhibiting with Annina Nosei Gallery, shortly after Jean-Michel Basquiat. During that time Moses also developed close ties with artists such as Jeff Koons, Marilyn Minter, Rudolf Stingel and Christopher Wool, who were also just emerging onto the scene.

“I’ve always loved Andy’s work. It’s interesting how it embraces many dialogues within the history of painting, from nature, landscape and science to abstraction. The paintings embrace everything while at the same time a sense of negation is always present. This polarity allows you to discover your relationship with the work itself. There’s always a sublime beauty within the work. The commingling of time and space, both real and abstract, is one of the the most relevant aspects of Andy’s work to me. Moses’s work is powerful and extreme, from the beginning to today, in concept and execution.”

- Jeff Koons

Andy Moses’ work is included in the permanent collections of Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Orange County Museum of Art, Laguna Art Museum, and the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation.   Andy will be the subject of two forthcoming museum exhibitions one at the Lancaster Museum of Art and History and the other at the Laguna Art Museum and was recently the subject of a 30 year survey at the SMC Barrett Gallery.  

ART REVIEW - White Hot Magazine / Andy Moses: Recent Paintings

By LORIEN SUÁREZ-KANERVA September 11, 2023

Andy Moses’ Recent Paintings will be showcased at the William Turner Gallery in Los Angeles from September 9 until November 11, 2023. Moses Recent Paintings’ distinct color use encompasses a predominantly white, blue, black and gold palette. All-white color tints, shades, and their lustrous variability are at play amidst clear, sharper, fluid lines, and softer open gradations, leading toward ethereal spaces. Moses’s sensibility spans a buoyantly luminous subtlety and achieves a refined definition through a meticulously grounded and richly orchestrated embodied perception. Maurice Merleau-Ponty pointed to embodied perception as the experience of the self in an environment at the crucible towards forms of relatedness that reveal meaning and expand perception.  

Geomorphology 1607, Acrylic on canvas, over concave wood panel, 57 x 90 inches, 2023

Fiber Birren, Johannes Itten, and Carl Jung address the subject of color each through a psychological vantage point, cultural nuances (like Jung’s groundbreaking study of mandalas of the East by introducing these to the West), and Color Theory. The sensorial effects of color suggest a responsive universality based on similarities that bridge cultural bounds.  In his works “Color and Meaning” and “Color and Culture,” John Cage supports these observations on color's meaningful effect on sensorial understanding across cultures.   Most salient in Moses’ works is the combination of white and blue, where black shifts through a reflective play with light toward shades of blue. From these earlier scholars' observations, colors such as whites speak of clarity, illumination, and spirituality, and blues inspire serene tranquility and introspective depth.

As a countertone, gold's earliest cultural associations with the sun's radiant power extend the hue's significance to encompass wealth and prominence. For Jung, gold represented the self's individuation process, stimulating wisdom and enlightenment—likewise, Itten and Birren associated illumination and divine inspiration with gold. Extensively, gold in East Asia, including Japanese 18th-century iconography, signifies wealth, power, good fortune, and divinity.

Geomorphology 1606, Acrylic on canvas over concave wood panel, 57 x 90 in, 2023

Moses shares the American Transcendentalists’ numinously intuitive perception of nature alongside the critical figures of Thoreau, Whitman, Emmerson, and their predecessor, the Canadian Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Poetry such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s lines from his poem “The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls” are evident in Moses’ paintings, and they highlight a kinship, reveling in transcendental sensibilities grounded in the human experience of nature and its patterns throughout time.

 “The little waves, with their soft, white hands,
Efface the footprints in the sands.”

Geodesy 1514, Acrylic on canvas over circular wood panel, 72 in diameter, 2023 

Longfellow summarizes this generational contribution towards a deepening receptiveness and recognition of how these contemplations become influential legacies in his poem “A Psalm of Life.”

“Lives of great men all remind us.
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints in the sands of time.”

Geodesy 1515, Acrylic on canvas over circular wood panel, 72 in diameter, 2023

Similarly, Moses perceived an affinity and kinship from the East with Ryukyuan lacquerware for its craftsmanship and conceptual design motif through his introduction while viewing LACMA’s “The Five Directions: Lacquer from the Ryukyu Islands” exhibition. This iconography and the craft itself of creating a painstaking layering of resin polished into lacquer was characteristic of Japan’s Ryukyu Islands from the 18th century.  The motif speaks of benevolent mystical forms seeking wisdom in East Asian cultural iconography. One particular piece in LACMA’s exhibition, a circular tray, inspired his painting titled Geodesy 1515. The matter of the enlightenment is also poetically crafted as an adornment – Dragons Chasing the Flaming Pearl. The Flaming Pearl holds as its essence the themes of wisdom within a spiritual scope. At the same time, the dragons culturally appear as strong protective forms that control natural elements.

Circular Tray with Dragons Chasing a Flaming Pearl, Black Lacquer on Wood Core with Mother of Pearl Inlay, 3.5 x 35.25 in, Ryukyu Islands, 1700-1800, LACMA Permanent Collection.

The American transcendentalist ethos, presented in the poem “Come, said my soul” by Whitman, attests eloquently to their literary movements’ vision of universal unity.  Their writings draw deeply from their dedicated contemplation and communion with nature. This is akin to the sensibility the mystics have shared throughout time.

Geomorphology 1608, Acrylic on canvas over concave wood panel, 57 x 90 in, 2023

“Come, said my soul,
Such verses for my body let us write, (for we are one,)
That should I after death invisibly return,
Or, long, long hence, in other sphere,
There to some group of mates the chants resuming,
(Tallying earth’s soil, trees, winds, tumultuous waves,)
Ever with pleas’d smile I may keep on, Ever and ever yet the verses
owning – as, first, I here and now,
Singing for soul and body, set to them by name,
Walt Whitman

Andy Moses’s paintings attest to this universal transcendence, poetically defined, and breathtakingly revealing its cultural lineage’s kinship. WM