September 5 through 27, 2008
The title is descriptive of a set of circumstances. Joe Miller is an artist who is turning 47 at about the same time that Space 47 is one year old.
An installation of new typographic works by Joe Miller features delightfully abrasive to violently sentimental poetic excerpts rendered in unexpected materials—from fallout shelter signs to stolen paintings and family heirlooms. The items that the phrases are integrated into include found objects such as a large plastic signage remnant, 35mm transparencies, paintings purchased at thrift stores, surplus minefield markers, vintage fallout shelter signs, and postcards. Items from the life of the artist include a jewelry box and gavel made by the artist in high school, and Joe’s own photographs as well as family photos.
Joe works extensively in the world of typography, logotype, and symbol design. One such example is the Space 47 logo, represented in large scale on the back wall of the gallery. Most of the work in the exhibition is derived from Joe’s poetry, which he has delivered in several multimedia spoken word performances.
Joe Miller is a graphic designer and design educator whose work in design is widely published and exhibited. As a poet and spoken word performance artist, he has been featured at venues throughout the Bay Area. Joe has been a member of the graphic design faculty at San José State University since 1988. web: joemillersco.com
The exhibition is noted in Sal Pizarro's column in the San Jose Mercury News.
