Paul F. Miller

Paul Franklin Miller Jr. (January 23, 1932 – March 29, 2012) was an American sculptor, art educator, and the creator of numerous art innovations. Miller was educated at Richmond Professional Institute, where he studied Abstract Expressionism. While studying he spent his summers in Provincetown, where he was greatly influenced by his mentor and tutor, Hans Hoffman.

A pivotal change in Miller's art career came when he began welding. His welds focused on symmetrical designs, which he became known for throughout his life as an artist. Miller's symmetrical art is represented in his sculpture, videography and printmaking.

His welding art was best known for the wall sculptures he created using thousands of brass welds, which most resemble crocheting in gold. In order to create the most accurate art from a symmetrical perspective, Miller and 2 physicists developed a device they named the Symmetricon. This allowed him to photograph sculptures and generate an almost limitless number of kaleidoscopic designs. Miller would then choose the designs he preferred and archive them as models for his sculptures. Miller also used his Symmetricon create Kaleidoscopic Archival Ink Prints and a video using objects from nature transformed into symmetrical designs.

Miller also used an electroplating process, while experimenting with myriad materials from bone to vegetables, even growing jewelry with gold or silver over knotted strings. A tribe of small pre-human figures, 5 to 10 inches tall, was first plated in copper or silver. He then scaled these to be up to 9 ft tall.

Miller also taught at the Stevens Institute of Technology (SIT). Provided by Wikipedia