10 November 2-8, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | Culture | Night+Day | News | Letters | coNteNts | 11/2/23* miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Have It Your Way John Miller turns classic diner food into glass sculptures. BY CAROLINA DEL BUSTO T he day before his show is set to begin installation at the Lowe Art Museum, artist John Miller cheer- ily jumps on a call with New Times. The joy of speaking about his work can be felt from miles away and over invisible airwaves. Miller presents 35 pieces as part of his aptly titled exhibition, “Order Up!” at the Lowe Art Museum. The artist replicates classic American diner foods, like burgers and fries, us- ing traditional glassblowing and glass sculpting techniques. The Bloomington, Illinois, resi- dent shares how he spends a great deal of time sketching when he goes out to eat at diners. He quickly dis- covered that the foods he was draw- ing translated well into glasswork. “It made sense to me to replicate some of these food objects, these iconic American foods,” he says. The 57-year-old glass artist hap- pily recalls growing up in New Haven, Connecticut, spending much of his formative years at a diner. His father owned an auto shop where he’d build and repair motorcycles. Next door was Kitty’s Diner. Miller would spend plenty of afternoons over at Kitty’s ordering all sorts of meals like hot dogs, burgers, mac & cheese, and milkshakes. In the early 1970s, a 70-something-year-old Kitty still served cus- tomers, leaving a lasting impression on Miller. “You can imagine the way she looked, the way she talked. The experience [at Kitty’s Diner] was visually stimulating,” he says. “The environment, the way that it looked, the horseshoe where you sit and eat, the people, the smells, all that stuff was important.” It all inspired his work for “Order Up!” so much so that Miller wanted to forgo tradi- tional display methods for his pieces. Rather than use pedestals or hangings on the wall, he purchased eight antique diner booths. Plating his sculptures like real food, Miller pairs a larger-than-life, glass-blown burger along- side an equally large hot dog and fries. It’s all part of how Miller wants viewers to engage with the work. Miller began working on his food series in 1999, shortly after graduating with his mas- ter’s degree. Twenty-four years later, he still has the first piece he ever made for this series: a 14-inch, crinkle-cut french fry. Although that piece remains in his permanent collec- tion, he assures New Times that plenty of fries are on display, particularly a three-foot box featuring 30 crinkle-cut fries weighing 160 pounds. While the works are reminiscent of a time in his life, Miller knows they resonate with a larger audience for one simple reason: “Everybody eats,” he says with a chuckle. “The thing about eating is that culturally, people eat together. The work is also ex- tremely deca- dent, and decadence never goes away.” Coupling the fact that food brings people together and the nostalgia of the hot-rod era from the early 1960s, Miller’s “Order Up!” is an uplifting nod to simpler times. It’s a feast for the eyes — and fun to experience. “I want people to be happy, and I want them to be impacted by the show,” Miller adds. “I also hope that some kids see the exhibition and then they can realize that this is a ca- reer. I turned this into a career as a kind of classical glassblower with a mechani- cal background. “I turned it into a career as an artist.” “Order Up!” On view through January 14, 2024, at Lowe Art Museum, 1301 Stanford Dr., Coral Gables; 305-284-3535; lowe.miami.edu. Admission is free. Wednesday through Satur- day 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. [email protected] ▼ Culture “Order Up!” at the Lowe Art Museum sees glass artist John Miller re-create classic diner food. Photo by Mario Clarke “THE THING ABOUT EATING IS THAT CULTURALLY, PEOPLE EAT TOGETHER.”
