For his first solo show in Germany, Harland Miller is coming back to Berlin, a city where he first encountered paintings that use text as an integral part of their composition in the mid 80’s. Tonight We Make History (P.S. I Can’t Be There) at Blain|Southern includes new large-scale paintings that incorporate his own designs, as well as some classics from the famous Penguin Books series.
Some of the new over three meter high paintings are inspired by the abstract geometrical covers of popular psychology books of the 60s and 70s. By using the same text with a different design and format, the British artist shows how meanings can change depending on the relationship with the form and colors used. Along with these bold steps into graphic design, the second part of the show includes a new selection of his most iconic artworks, the series of Penguin Books paintings. Classics such as High on Hope, I’ll Never Forget What I Can’t Remember and the titular Tonight We Make History (P.S. I Can’t Be There), are examples of the publishing house’s perfectly balanced composition that the Miller turned into his trademark. With plain graphics and a simple composition putting all the emphasis on the title, it’s his brush strokes and the timeless oil on canvas feel that completes these striking contemporary beauties.
Images courtesy of the artist and Blain|Southern.
