Bank Street Gallery
William Brian Miller is of a vintage where an art college schooling still required a fairly classical breadth of education. A graduate of Duncan & Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee, he trained under the likes of Alberto Morocco and James Morrison. Even a superficial glance at Miller’s work reveals the attention to detail upon which these great masters insisted.
Indeed he found in himself a little of the pedagogue, such was the influence of those in Dundee. After travelling and painting in Western Europe, Miller, who is originally from Glasgow, returned to the Angus area and began lecturing at Angus College. His skills both as an artist and tutor led to ultimately to his leadership of the art department. In that role he developed many new courses including the art college portfolio preparation course which still runs today.
That is not to say that WBM, known to his friends as Brian, is remotely stuck in the past. Just over a decade ago Brian graduated MSc from Dundee in Applied Computing after scratching his interest in computer graphics at Aberdeen College.
Even in these three short paragraphs, Miller’s natural curiosity about the world around him and his interest in exploring and sharing knowledge is evident. His style can be eclectic, reflecting a wide range of inspiration both in content and technique. The exhibition at Bank Street Gallery nonetheless enjoys a pleasing homogeneity. The cool palette hangs across both landscapes and still lifes alike, in a calming, gentle caress. Whether the sadness of a crisped rose or the succulent temptation of a ripening pear, Miller’s use of cool light plays with our emotions.
this show runs from friday 17th march 2017 to friday 28th april 2017