Press

Miles in the Sky

Book Release

Gallery Exhibition

A solo exhibition of the work of James Miles and celebration of the release of a new book about the work of this visionary artist created by well-known contemporary art maker Harrell Fletcher

June 21 – August 9, 2007
Opening Reception: Thursday, June 21 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm

SAN FRANCISCO…Creativity Explored, San Francisco’s premier gallery of work by artists with developmental disabilities, is proud to present a solo exhibition of one of its most respected artists, James Miles. “Miles in the Sky” is on display at the Creativity Explored Gallery June 21st through August 9th. The show opens with a reception featuring live music and a chance to meet the artist on Thursday June 21st from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. In conjunction with the exhibition, San Francisco’s esteemed Gallery 16 releases a new book about Miles’ work created by well-known contemporary artist Harrell Fletcher, “James F. Miles Is A Boyfriend And A Girlfriend.” The book and all artwork may be purchased at the Creativity Explored Gallery, open Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, and Saturday from 1:00 to 6:00 pm.

Miles’ work has always attracted the interest of other contemporary artists and serious art collectors. Working primarily with pen and ink, Miles creates mostly miniature, exceptionally skillful line drawings that communicate nuances and details in an almost uncannily simple way. Even a tiny figure a quarter inch high seems to exude a distinct personality. “His draftsmanship is extraordinary,” says one of the show’s curators Horace Washington who has worked with Miles, a man with autism, for more than 15 years at Creativity Explored. “And he has an incredible memory. He can draw the dashboard of his father’s car to the last detail in less than 15 minutes. It’s almost effortless.”

Miles’ ability to remember detail is evident in the maps he creates of his neighborhood. In them, a maze of shops, homes, light poles, telephone wires and street signs are laid out in three perspectives at once so that they are viewed from above, below and straight on. These multiple perspectives on city landscapes are a trademark of his work and derive, according to his sister Marilyn, from Miles’ childhood fascination with the book “This is San Francisco” by Miroslav Sasek. “He’s been a natural artist all his life,” she says. “But I think he really absorbed a lot of information about perspective from that book.”

Miles’ environments are frequently populated by the silhouettes of figures, often the same three “chatting girls” that he remembers from elementary school. In fact, many ideas repeat in Miles’ work. He is particularly drawn to objects in the sky, which make frequent appearances in his drawings. People float through the clouds in parachutes and hot air balloons while planes and zeppelins whiz by. Another favorite subject is rock bands.

One longtime fan is well-known contemporary artist Harrell Fletcher. Fletcher encountered Miles’ work in the early 1990s when he stumbled on Creativity Explored (CE) for the first time. Soon he was volunteering at the studio and working with a friend to make videos with the artists for broadcast on cable access television. Fletcher also started a zine that highlighted individual artists called ‘Whipper Snapper Nerd’ (so named by another CE artist, John Patrick McKenzie). Says Fletcher of Miles’ work, “His work stood out from the moment I saw it, and has been compelling to me ever since. James’ drawings are both very everyday and incredibly mysterious at the same time. He is operating on another level from anyone else I’ve ever encountered—almost as if he is physically in this universe but perceiving several others that are undetectable to other people. The results are poignant, funny, disturbing, and generally stunning.”

When Fletcher was invited last year by San Francisco’s Gallery 16 to produce a book for its acclaimed “one artist, one concept” book series, Fletcher surprised everyone by coming up with the idea to show someone else’s work – James Miles. But Gallery 16 embraced the idea and gave Fletcher carte blanche. The resulting “James F. Miles Is A Boyfriend And A Girlfriend” will be released in conjunction with the exhibition at Creativity Explored and will be available for purchase at both Creativity Explored and Gallery 16.

Calendar Listing

Miles in the Sky

SOLO EXHIBITION AND OPENING: Creativity Explored, San Francisco’s premier gallery of work by artists with developmental disabilities, presents a solo exhibition of one of its most respected artists, James Miles, entitled “Miles in the Sky.” Working primarily with pen and ink, Miles creates mostly miniature, exceptionally skillful line drawings that communicate nuances and details in an almost uncannily simple way. Even a tiny figure a quarter inch high seems to exude a distinct personality. Miles’ environments are frequently populated by the silhouettes of figures, often the same three “chatting girls” that he remembers from elementary school. He is also drawn to objects in the sky, which make frequent appearances in his drawings. People float through the clouds in parachutes and hot air balloons while planes and zeppelins whiz by. In conjunction with the exhibition, San Francisco’s esteemed Gallery 16 releases a new book about Miles’ work created by well-known contemporary artist Harrell Fletcher, “James F. Miles Is A Boyfriend And A Girlfriend.” The book and all artwork may be purchased through the Creativity Explored Gallery.

What

Miles in the Sky – a solo exhibition of the work of Creativity Explored artist James Miles

When

• Opening Reception: Thursday, June 21, 2007 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm
• Exhibit Dates and Times: June 21 – August 9, 2007, Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, Saturday 1:00 to 6:00 pm

Where

Creativity Explored Gallery
3245 Sixteenth St. at Guerrero, San Francisco

Creativity Explored is a nonprofit visual arts center where artists with developmental disabilities create, exhibit, and sell art.

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# Posted on May 15, 2007