Buena Park, CA
Biography:
Born in Chicago in 1973, Robbie Miller was surrounded by neighborhoods each with it’s own unique heritage and culture. Being that his mother was adopted, Robbie didn’t know a heritage of his own. He admired what people did for their culture and wondered what it would be like to be Polish, Italian, African American, or Puerto Rican. After he received his BFA from Columbia College Chicago, Robbie moved to Orange County, California to get his MFA at California State University at Fullerton. The plan was to go to graduate school and then move back to Chicago, but after he received his MFA he met his wife and started teaching in Orange County. In Southern California, where he now resides, Robbie notices a new kind of culture that is not linked to a heritage, but rather a lifestyle. He is fascinated by sub-cultures that develop from what a person wears or activities they fill their day with.
In his work, Robbie takes a look at social roles or sub-cultures within a society and plays with the props and actions used in any given activity. Whether it be washing a car or exercising, he tries to slightly alter an approach to reconfigure a role, or to just get a laugh. Robbie’s work starts with an action or performance and an object is created with documentation by photography, video, and word of mouth.
Website: www.robbiemillerart.com
