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Jim Miller-Melberg
Artist's Statement:
These pieces
are cast in aluminum. The faceted and polished surfaces of
the aluminum shapes reflect light and colors of the environment.
There is a shimmering effect similar to reflected light on
water, or light filtering through a forest canopy of leaves.
In "Forest Murmurs", I attempted to describe in sculptural
terms, the elegance of the great pine forests that once existed
in Michigan. The "Two Figures" are figure-like abstractions.
Forest Murmurs and Two Figures were shown together at the Mattaei
Gardens in Ann Arbor, and in keeping with the Wagnerian theme,
it was suggested that the Two Figures might be called Tistan
and Isolde. "Winter Wind" is what the name suggests.
In certain light it has a dramatic, almost fierce quality of
the dreaded cold north winds of a Michigan winter. |
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I was born in
Minneapolis in January 1929. Now at this stage in my life it
seems that I have had far more vitae than curriculum. I attended
two Universities, two Art Academies and in my salad days bummed
around a bit, but have no degrees to show for those maverick
days of my youth. My initiation to what would become my life's
work began at the age of six or seven in my father's wood pattern
shop," The Miller Pattern Co. The wood shop, as the family
referred to it, was right next to our house in Southfield, Michigan,
and over the years my brothers and I learned to work with all
the tools and materials of the trade. My other seminal experience
in sculpture was independent study in England and France in
1951 and 52. In Paris I attended the "Ecole de la Grande
Chaumiere" in Montparnasse, where I studied for awhile with
Ossip Zadkine. the noted cubist sculptor. During the summer of
1952, I was granted the use of the sculpture studio as a place
to live and work. In the late fifties I was hired by the University
of Michigan to teach sculpture and design. The association
with the University did not work out and after three years,!
left. In 1961 I founded Form, Inc. and set up shop in a barn
on my family's farm in South Lyon, Mi. Over the years I designed
what became known as Play Sculptures, and site amenities,
and engineered the complex and unique mold systems for their
production in precast concrete. In 1981 I sold the business.
Many of the products are still being manufactured. Since 1984,
although occasionally involved in design projects, I am now
doing what I always hoped to do, making sculpture for it's own
sake. What's in a name? My grandfather, Klaus Melberg immigrated
from Sweden to this country and settled in Minnesota. The immigration
service changed his name to Miller. In honor of our original
family name, since 1984, I have been signing my work "Jim
Melberg". |
