Kantor Gallery is pleased to present Adam D. Miller, ‘The Giants of Light’, the artist’s first solo exhibition with the gallery featuring three new paintings, and a grouping of new ceramic works. ‘The Giants of Light’ is an intimate look at the artist’s obsession with the manga series ‘Ultraman’. The exhibition will be on view by appointment only from July 12 to July 29, 2020.

EXHIBITION TEXT

“This is the first exhibition to highlight the ceramics, a new direction in my practice. The imagery in the works are abstractions of the character “Ultraman” from the iconic children’s manga series and television show.

I use the iconic helmet as a jumping off point to create these compositions. The title of the exhibition, ‘The Giants of Light’, is also a reference to the show. I am interested both in my personal history and relationship to the show as a fan from childhood into adulthood, but also the metaphorical and psychological implications of the characters narrative, specifically the ideas of society vs. nature / horror vs. beauty / control vs. chaos that are repeated throughout the show. When I was kid I was obsessed with this show and would draw Ultraman all the time, and now as a father I am experiencing it again through my son who has become obsessed with the character and makes drawings, his own masks and collects the same toys that I did as a boy.

I’m interested in “fandom” in general and particularly pop culture material like the show that imparts archetypal myths / narratives that people intrinsically relate to, along with the writing of Carl Jung and the concept of the collective unconscious.”

– Adam D. Miller

BIO

Adam D. Miller was born in Bellevue, WA in 1982 and currently lives in Los Angeles, CA. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Art Center College of Design in 2008 and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Sacramento in 2005. Miller’s work has been the subject of one and two- person exhibitions at Odd Ark LA (2019), Southfield w/ Nora Shields, Detroit MI (2018), The Pit II w/ Devon Oder, Los Angeles CA (2016), O.N.O. Los Angeles, CA (2015), ROCKSBOX Contemporary, Portland OR (2015), and Steve Turner Contemporary, Los Angeles (2012). Recent group exhibitions include Lefebvre & Fils Paris, Roberts Projects LA, Guerrero Gallery San Francisco, Charlie James Gallery LA, JOAN LA, and more. In 2012 he was selected as one of Art Review’s “future greats”.

For any additional information or if you would like to schedule an appointment to see the exhibition, please contact Jeremy Maldonado at 310.274.2667 or [email protected]