April 10, 2001- The current art exhibit at the Chase Manhattan Bank branch in Cruz Bay is of photography by St. Thomas resident Greg Miller. Titled "The Colors of Black and White," the collection consists of 21 black-and-white photo images matted in white then mounted on colorful hand-dyed cotton fabric swatches and framed.
Miller's subject matter is diverse, from seascapes to architectural studies to portraits and people studies. Collectively it reflects, quite literally, where he has been and what he has seen in the last 10 years.
A civil engineer by profession, Miller has been involved for a decade with EMI Inc., an entity that provides volunteer engineering and architectural services to organizations in underserved nations. He has donated his time and talents working on school projects in Haiti, Borneo and Bolivia; a hospital in India; and an agricultural training station in Zambia. He took many of the photos on display in the bank while participating in such projects.
Wherever his volunteering has taken him, Miller says, he has met wonderful people who are "very inspiring in spite of their lack of education, money and even the basic necessities of life. Meeting them has given me a enormous feeling that all human beings are truly brothers and sisters on this Earth."
Miller hand dyes the cotton cloth himself to make it a part of his artwork. He came up with the concept while experimenting "with various ways to present black-and-white photographs in order to create interest, as well as to enhance the universal feelings generated by them," says Corinne Van Rensselaer, owner of The Color of Joy gallery, which represents his work. "The dyed cloth borders, through the mix of fabric and color, amplify the impact created by the black-and-white photos and, in addition, soften their edges."
The pieces range in size, framed, from 11 by 14 inches to 26 by 32 inches. They're priced from $200 to $950.
Monthly exhibitions at the Cruz Bay bank are presented by the St. John School of the Arts. This one was coordinated by The Color of Joy, located in Red Hook on St. Thomas. Miller also is represented at other art venues on St. Thomas; in San Juan and Fajardo, Puerto Rico; and in Delray Beach, Fla. He was among the V.I. artists whose work was shown last year at Carifesta VII, the Caribbean Festival of the Arts, on St. Kitts.
The show, which opened April 9, will hang through May 9. Bank lobby hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. Anyone interested in purchasing or learning more about Miller's work may call him at 776-6770 or contact The Color of Joy by phone at 775-4020 or by e-mail to [email protected].