Apr 25

Apr 25 IN CONVERSATION WITH HYPERREALIST OIL PAINTER STEVE MILLS

Art, Creative People, Culture, Interviews

BREAKFAST FOR TWO, 2022
Oil on Panel
30 x 40 in., 76.2 x 101.6 cm.

Steve Mills’ ( b. 1959) work is characterized by meticulous attention to detail and technical mastery, both hallmarks of the photorealist genre. Mills perceives Photorealism as a lab where he can experiment with light, texture, and color, resulting in artworks that are seemingly indistinguishable from reality.

Drawing inspiration from his daily experiences, Mills often takes cues from casual observations that he later brings to life in his studio. His oeuvre encompasses a variety of domestic subjects such as newspapers, toy marbles, breakfast scenes, and crossword puzzles, as well as landscapes and beach scenes.

For over 34 years I have exhibited with Gallery Henoch in New York. There I have been the focus of three solo shows including, REFLECTIONS AND SHADOWS, which is currently on view. Over my career, all but 11 artworks out of 789 total pieces have been placed in collections. 7 of these are now hanging at Gallery Henoch in my solo show - Keep my fingers crossed. Few moments are as rewarding then when the paintings you’ve worked on in private are so well received by the greater public. This year I will be included in a book of Hyperrealist still life painters from London.

Your greatest inspirations or influences?

I grew up on Martha's Vineyard which is such a beautiful place and in the beginning of my painting career I painted landscapes. It is also a very cultured and artistic community which was very inspirational. I have met very interesting and talented people there who gave me support in so many ways. My father was a musician and composer, so it was helpful growing up in a creative family.

I truly believe that being in this environment was instrumental in me becoming an artist.

At my first solo show in New York City, I met Charles Bell who was one of the original group of photorealists. He came off hours to the gallery and we talked about my paintings. It was a real thrill to meet one of the original members of the photorealism movement with such a personal one on one time.

Tell us about your creative process from the moment of ideation...

As an artist, I know that coming up with an interesting idea is crucial for a successful painting. While ideas can come from anywhere, it's not always easy to find one that resonates with me. When an idea does come to mind, I work on turning it into an image that I personally like. This process can take some time, and ideas sometimes don't progress to the next stage for years. Once I've decided on an idea, I spend days in the studio creating an image that I think is worthy of becoming a painting. I often invite gallery owners to help me refine the image and determine the ideal scale for the painting. I usually paint on stiff substrates because I like to rest my hand on the surface while working. When painting larger than 4 x 8 feet, I use fine Belgian linen. The image I paint from is often made by melding together multiple photos in Photoshop to capture all the details.

As I work on a painting, I build it from back to front, ensuring the relative depth of the layers to create a sense of realism. Sometimes, a painting can take up to 600 hours to complete, and I often listen to audiobooks or have the TV on to keep me company and exercise my eyes. I prefer to work at night when there are fewer distractions and often go to bed at sunrise. I've even built a custom easel that can roll along the wall, with an electric motor that can move the painting vertically and rotate it 360 degrees to make it easier to work on larger, heavier paintings.

Overall, creating a successful painting takes a lot of time and effort, but it's worth it when the final result is a work of art that I'm proud of.

What does well-being mean to you?

To me, well-being means feeling fulfilled and in sync with my painting. It's the thrill of exploring new ideas and successfully bringing them to life on the canvas. Selling a painting is also a great source of satisfaction, but I don't let the business side of things get in the way of my overall well-being. When I need a break, I enjoy indulging in my hobbies like model railroading or working in my woodshop. Eating out is another favorite activity of mine, whether with friends or alone, as it allows me to be surrounded by other people and enjoy good food.

The best parts of exhibiting is having “fun” openings and great dinner parties afterwards. I really enjoy meeting new artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts at the openings. I am in my element where I can talk a little shop with artists and get to know some of the people where the artworks might live. I don’t need every conversation to be about art or painting, I enjoy learning about other people’s interests and sharing my own. Some of the ideas for future work can find their genesis in these types of conversations.

Tell us about this upcoming exhibition at Gallery Henoch

This is the first solo show I've done with the Gallery since 2010. This is my third solo show with Gallery Henoch where I've been showing for 34 years. This show has been four years in the making, which I am excited to share with you. The title of the show is REFLECTIONS AND SHADOWS. Of course, much of my work focuses on Still life and every object has shadows but combining them with reflections is the focus of this exhibition. In particular, the painting “Marbles Shadows” and “Breakfast For Two” are stand out works representing the theme. It’s a fitting title because most of the paintings in the show have different themes, but, what brings them together is the play on light. In each work I investigate a way to do that in a new way. Some works have subtle textures against smooth surfaces others use the contract between lightest colors and the darkest colors to tell the story.

Overall, the show will feature some of my favorite subjects including marbles, Wall Street Journals, broken glass and board games. I hope to connect with people conceptually through the compositional elements while also allowing viewers to associate their own history. There are other land mark paintings in this show such as “Art Rages”. This painting is letter perfect and is one of the longest pieces in terms of work hours. The concept came as a result of showing at the Art Miami Art Fair. During that show Maurizio Cattelan sold his notorious “Banana Duck Taped to the Wall” for $120,000. It was a sensational moment but seemed to be surpassed by other headline generating events, such as the sale of the questionable DaVinici “Salvator Mundi” for a record $450 million and later Beeple’s show stopping NFT sale. So, my response was to gather some of these headlines into an epic painting.

I have to admit I took great pride in figuring out the title for that painting.

Anything else you'd like to share

Funny story. The broken glass series came about when I was setting up a photoshoot of wine glasses in the sun on my driveway. A gust of wind came and blew the board off the platform and all 12 wine glasses shattered. Frustrated I started to sweep up the broken glass and saw how amazing the light was on the glass how really cool shadows the were. Ideas can come from anywhere…..

I like to track things. It’s in my nature. I generally track how long my paintings take, documenting this in a searchable database along with pertinent data for each piece. Some works are relatively simple and can take only about 100 hours, others are incredibly detailed and complex and take over 500 hours. I also am thrilled that the collectors of my paintings are quite wide ranging and international.