As part of the Co-thinkers exhibition opening, one of the participating artists John Miller will talk about figuration, as well as globalization and monopolization tendencies in contemporary culture.
Miller’s talk will be in two parts. In the first, he will discuss the development of his work in terms of figuration, not simply traditional mimetic depiction (as opposed to abstraction), but rather a representational complex that can function as a rhetorical platform, an allegorical modality or even as an investigation of social formations. Miller will trace the arc of his work from its origins in picture theory —in which even abstract art can be understood as a kind of figure—to that which addresses the discourse of public space. After a short break, he will briefly examine the ideology of contemporary art in relation to tensions between globalization and monopolization. This will be followed by a discussion about two group shows he has recently curated: Bad Conscience at Metro Pictures in New York and Visibility at London's Campoli Presti Gallery.
