Shelley Miller

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Eye Want You: LV · series of four 16” × 20” digital prints mounted on Di-bond.
The Good Life Guide · 29” × 42” digital print mounted on Di-bond.
Detail from The Good Life Guide.

Sumptuous Still Lives

The Sumptuous Still Life series combines the structure and composition of Dutch still life painting with contemporary symbols of luxury and luxurious lifestyles. The seemingly recognizable and oft-overlooked formula of a still life painting is challenged by the fact that the objects in my work are sculpted out of edible cake and icing. Like the superfluous products I portray, cakes and sweets are highly desirable, often getting confused for necessity instead of an unnecessary luxury.

Details from The Good Life Guide.
Le Rêve (1/3) · series of three 29” × 44” digital prints mounted on Di-bond.
Detail from Le Rêve.

Along these themes of indulgence and decadence is the triptych “Le Rêve”. The title of this triptych has double meaning. One is the literal translation of “the dream” which references the allure of gambling and Vegas – the dream that one will strike it rich. The second meaning refers to the proposed name of a new casino/hotel extravaganza currently being built by hotel giant Steve Wynn in Las Vegas. The intended image of a casino is a place of glamour and expectation. Its’ power lies in the dream of wealth it represents. My triptych charts the rise and fall of the gluttonous journey that transpires when greed surpasses reason. The framed image in the background reveals the truth of what gambling has become. No longer the glory days of the Rat Pack, gambling has become VLT machines in every small-town pub.

Note: soon after this piece was completed, the name of the new Steve Wynn casino/hotel was changed from Le Rêve to its current name, Wynn Las Vegas.

Le Rêve (2/3) · series of three 29” × 44” digital prints mounted on Di-bond.
Details from Le Rêve.
 

Press for Sumptuous Still Lives:

“Miller's most recent body of work explores the role that advertising plays in enticing us into this pernicious and deeply seated consumption.”

- Gilbert A. Bouchard, Edmonton Journal, April 29, 2005.
Click here for the full article.

“Miller delights, humours or pummels us (depending on your perspective) with a contemporary version of the old Christian tradition of vanitas imagery.”

- Agnieszka Matejko, "The girl with the most cake". VueWeekly (Edmonton), April 28, 2005.
Click here for the full article.

“In Miller's tableaux, no scrap of poker chip or playing card is safe from the similarly ravenous participants she has invited to pose in her photographs.”

- Mark Clintberg, Fastforward (Calgary), April 7 - 13, 2005.
Click here for the full article.