Code,901017
Subject,Miller Horns
Date,10/28/2008
Interviewer,William Busta
Special Notes,
Abstract,"Miller Horns' artistic ability helped him to cope with dyslexia in elementary school, the teachers allowed him to draw while others had lessons.  Mark Sopliln at U of Akron, encouraged him to study art at the college level.  He was accepted at  CIA and spent five years commuting by Greyhound bus from Akron to Cleveland to attend school.  His education gave him an appreciation of other art forms, especially dance and theater.  He became interested in electrostatic art when he realized that few artists were working with the medium. He attended workshops to learn more about this new art form in the 1980's.    Horns manipulates photographs,enlarging them and playing with colors and textures.  By creating large images, Horn uses distance and space to invite the audience into his world.  His work is often autobiographical, a place where he can share the good and bad experiences of his life.  He believes the best art leaves the audience asking questions about the work and the creative process of the artist.  His latest work is entitled ""Nightmare: Falling out of Grace,"" in which he portrays a figure falling from a tall building in New York, lit by floodlights. People may relate to the dream of falling, others may find the image reminiscent of 9/11.  Sharing his work with the public is often scary, Horns notes, it can feel like being crucified, put on display for people to judge and critique. He has been criticized by not being ""black"" enough in his work, but feels his art goes beyond his color.  He has written a play based on his experiences on the Greyhound commute called ""Just Passing Through,"" that was given a staged reading at Karamu Theatre.  Horn hopes, someday, to see this work produced on stage."
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0,"Born in Birmingham Alabama, 1948, came to Akron at age 1"
1,"Realized he had artistic ability around the 3rd grade, using pop cycle sticks; mother used to draw on cars for him; created interest in doing art"
2,Classmates used to call him King Luois; visual became way of being an artist
3,Mark Soplin of University of Akron helped Horn's artistic abilities
4,"Education helped Horns, he didn't allow it to hinder him. Gave him a way of looking at art in ways beyond doing and making things."
5,Horns appreciated dance and theater more as result of education; began documenting information for future works
6,Went to reproduction at Xerox at Akron; were impressed with end results; realized not many artists work with copiers
7,wanted to push it as a new medium
8,attended electrostatic workshops; developed his space for working
9,objective with electrostatics was to help with Horn's inabilities with printed matter
10,Horns used photography with his and manipulates the photos through machines; begins by taking image and figure the impact in regard to size; does it need color; should be grainy or woodblock print
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12,work is used to invite people into Horn's world; his space
13,small space helps Horn's with his work; subject matter is autobiographical with good and bad things with life; doesn't mind sharing it
14,sharing his life helps Horns moved forward
15,"""Just passing through"", 20 years in development, recalls experience waiting at bus station in Akron covering several eras"
16,Largest obstacles: the thought that being a black artists is not dealing with his color; his work goes beyond that; been critized that his work is not black enough
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18,Tereca Verdine at Akron encouraged Horns to go to Cleveland Institute of Art
19,Cleveland Institute of Art was a test of character because Horns had nothing to lose
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21,Horn's work with distance perception reflects how close he wants public to be with him on certain feelings
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23,"Horn's has not done much installation work, but did one depicting New York city from different perspective"
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25,Horn's leaves his work with a question to answer
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27,Horn's is beginning to work with digital images / technology
28,"Horn's is still at a distance with new technology, does not want to lose ability to be involved physically with work"
29,future work includes turning façade of old hotel in Akron and converting it to a sculpture
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31,Horn's would like people to know about his local contributions; that would be enough for him
32,"Horn's has a voice to through his work; living in Cleveland area made Horns more creative, he created his own world"
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