Michael Paul Miller: The Human Survival Instinct

Michael Paul Miller’s art explores the human ability to persevere, adapt and survive, especially when the path is perilous and the end is bleak.  (Above: The Calling, 2007)

The Migration’ (above, 2011) is an example of the tenacious humans he paints.

>My work explores the sublimity of existence through a post-apocalyptic environment emblematic of death, disaster, and desolation, without abandoning subtle indications of hope and beauty. – Artist Statement

Devotion, 2007

Miller says he is fascinated by human perseverance.   He identifies it as an ennobling characteristic, a “primordial instinct and necessity of life,” a theme reflected in his work.

–Red Tide (2003, one of his early works)

-No More, 2008

His post-apocalyptic themes cover all manner of disasters.  One of his reviews notes that  “Miller’s canvases continue the traditions of history painting with imagined scenes from a dystopian future spreading from the Heartland.“

In Miller’s words:  This deconstructive setting is a harrowing and plausible circumstance that allows for an open-ended inquiry into the bewildering human condition, and enables the subject matter to address an extensive range of contemporary issues.

Michael Paul Miller’s website, here.