Harland Miller: XXX
14 March - 31 August 2025
York Art Gallery
Internationally acclaimed artist and writer Harland Miller (b.1964, Yorkshire, UK) returns to York Art Gallery to present ‘XXX’, a new exhibition showcasing paintings and works on paper from his renowned ‘Letter Paintings’ series. Inspired by his upbringing in 1970s Yorkshire and an itinerant lifestyle in New York, New Orleans, Berlin and Paris during the 1980s and ’90s, Miller creates colourful and graphically vernacular works that convey his love of popular language and attest to his enduring engagement with its narrative, aural and typographical possibilities.
Coinciding with the release of a book of the same title by Phaidon, ‘XXX’ features several new works by Miller, one of which celebrates the city of York. Inspired by medieval manuscripts, where monks often laboured to produce intricate illuminated letters to mark the beginning of chapters, Miller’s hard-edged ‘Letter Paintings’ seamlessly meld the sacred with the everyday. In these works, the artist uses bold colours and typefaces to accentuate the expressive versatility of monosyllabic words and acronyms such as ‘ESP’, ‘IF’ and ‘Star’.
A nationally important exhibition for York, Yorkshire and the UK, ‘XXX’ runs from 14 March until 31 August 2025. The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of events including a Q&A with the artist, plus community activities to inspire, inform and involve all.
Harland Miller, Courtesy of White Cube
XXX 2019 Oil on canvas
© Harland Miller. Photo © White Cube (Theo Christelis)
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