Donny Miller
by Neil Rhodes


He faked his way into a job with Etnies which lead to jobs with Rusty, Vans, and then on to designing some boards for Aesthetics and Emerica. All in all, this guy works his ass off. Donny acts as the voice for those of us who have been hurt, do the hurting, or are just smart-assed bastards. Donny is to art what David Cross is to comedy. People may moan in front of others because it is ‘expected’…but deep down they’re saying, "Yes. God bless you, you wonderful man." I was lucky enough to interview the man, here it is:









NR: A lot of you art seems to be about how women have hurt you. Do you
just pick bad women, or do you just attract the batty ones?

DM: They're all a bit batty, but they only get that way when they
aren't getting what they want. If a woman is giving you trouble,
it's because they aren't getting what they want out of the
relationship, but they are having trouble expressing it or don't
think they can fix it. Lot's of women like to "fix" things. Usually
the character flaws they find in men. I guess some of my pieces are
like love songs. So many people can identify with it. I don't get
hurt so much as I get annoyed, but I've been hurt, I've done the
hurting. A lot of my pieces are what I think people are thinking.


NR: You seem to have a pretty good sense of humor, albeit dark. Is
this a help for your art, or do you sometimes see it as a
hindrance, like maybe people don’t get it?

DM: I think it's great to have a sense of humor. I don't see how it
could hinder anything, maybe if all it was was a lot of fluff funny
crap and I didn't take things seriously. I've never seen humor as a
hindrance. In fact, I don't like people who are stiff. Like I'll
talk to a pretty woman for instance and if she can't make me laugh
or I can't make her laugh, I get turned off. A lot of gallery
owners don't have any sense of humor. People are too serious too
often. People should loosen up, have a drink, eat some cake, live a
little. A good sense of humor can get you through tough times.
Sometimes I laugh for no reason at all and let me tell you, it's
better than crying.


NR: Do you consider your corporate logo work art, or is that just
money to support your art?

DM: It's commercial art. There is a real art to commercialism. I love
doing logos and graphics.


NR: Who do you feel are some of the better modern artists today?

DM: Yogi Proctor. Always a step ahead of me in one way or another, that
one.


NR: Is there an artist out there who isn't well-known but you think
should be?

DM: Edmo, this old man who makes collages.




                                   


 

www.donnymiller.com