Mark Miller’s work examines the connections, influences and parallels of a rural Jamaican experience and an urban black British context through visual and audio art platforms. The work aims to assemble a variety of objects, structures and themes that emphasise urban British experience with considerations of their connection Jamaican folklore.
Miller’s work explores folklore, and its relationship to contemporary urban environments. Considering the links and physiological parallels between rural and urban experience, as a method of examining structures, process of production and conditions that form cultural practices. Utilising multiple media, predominantly drawing, audio and painting, the work aims to demonstrate layered approach to questions surrounding our hyper-complex relationships with our communal and individual lived experience.
‘Duppy Culture’ and ‘Duppy City’ have been a focus of Millers work which considers who the Afro -diaspora manage new cultural and psychological spaces. ‘Duppy’ (Jamaican meaning for ghost or malevolent spirits) narratives form moral meaning, socio-political themes and messages, arising from Jamaican folklore to form antidotes and strategies to understand moral, social and political conflict.
Mark Miller is Circuit: National Lead, a four year national programme led by Tate and funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. He is also Convenor Young People’s Programmes at Tate Modern and Tate Britain. His role is focused on the vision, strategy, direction and outcomes which enables young people, 15 – 25 to access, participate, produce and contribute to British culture through the Tate Collection and exhibitions.
