Renowned for his meticulously detailed mixed-media sculptures, Canadian artist Chris Millar continues to explore the limits of scale and intricacy. Two of his recent creations highlight this ongoing exploration: “A Prize Every Time” and “Loom Beneath the Loam.” The latter features eight miniature paintings, two relief sculptures, and various sculptural components attached to a brass frame. Its cartoonish pendants, face-like vignettes, and branch-like tendrils give it a mysterious, machine-like appearance, as if pulling a hidden lever might set the whole piece in motion.
Departing from his typical multimedia approach, “A Prize Every Time” is a finely detailed acrylic painting depicting around 90 portraits of notable figures from Alberta, the artist’s home province. This work resembles a tourism map intertwined with a look-and-find book.
Millar notes, “To an American audience, a lot of the Alberta-centric easter eggs will go over their heads, but even if they don’t know about Alberta’s history or geography, it’s a pretty fun painting to look at!” Some might recognize familiar faces like Michael J. Fox and Joni Mitchell, both born in the province.
Explore more of Millar’s work on his Instagram.
