Atalanta and the Bear Hunt, Keith Miller
Español
March 10, 2024
by Keith Miller
In the minds of many San Miguelenses, both Mexican and foreign, Berlin Bar and Bistro has come to represent a respite from the din and high energy of Centro- a space where the welcome is as inviting as the food.
Berlin is also a place renowned for its diversity. So, it's fitting that our two-artist show, opening Friday, March 15, reflects our contrasts: in age, background and in artistic temperament. Unifying the show however, is a common theme, the human figure.
Mixael Rudloff
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Through the ebb and flow of the history of art, in all its richness and variety, one subject remains a constant, us. Today, as much as ever, the figure remains a central preoccupation in our culture. The pair of artists exhibiting give a nod to both ends of that chronological spectrum of art.
My watercolors are mostly from an island-hopping trip to Greece last fall. Partly out of curiosity I began to paint what I saw in the museums there. These pieces are informed by direct observation only, and not by any formal study of Ancient Greek history. They are impressions only, of course, and many times removed from their cultural sources.
Goddess Aura, Keith Miller
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What struck me most was the immediacy and energy of Greek art. It's hard not to be moved by, for example, the life-sized bronze, "The Horse and Jockey of Artemision," a stunning portrait of a 12- or 13-year-old African slave, driving his mount to the finish line. Although crafted more than 2000 years ago, the impression of strength and speed are visceral. In a dialogue, however tenuous, across time, the Greeks are still telling their stories.
Mixael Rudloff
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Mixael Rudloff is a young Mexican painter who divides his time between Mexico City and San Miguel. His paintings reflect, I think, the age-old predicament of the human condition; ethereal yet grounded in the physical. Clearly his depictions of the figure signify emotional states, yet he's frank enough in his grasp of human anatomy to leave an impression of life within- a thudding heart and blood coursing through the veins.
This is the classic theme, after all of so much in art and literature; the tension between the organic and the spiritual underlying the human condition. It's an uneasy conundrum that prevails even in today's digitized world.
Horse and Jockey of Artemision, Keith Miller
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Mixael's paintings evoke strong reactions. His art is engaging and not afraid to speak of both our carnal and cerebral natures.
Mixael Rudloff has already exhibited in group shows in Mexico as well as in Leiden, the Netherlands. In addition, he has been honored with a solo show curated by a leading-edge art and design collective in Guadalajara, Krema MX. Certainly, a talent to watch.
Mixael Rudloff
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Keith Miller and Mixael Rudloff - opening
Berlin Bar and Bistro, Umaran 19
Friday, March 15, 6pm
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Keith Miller was born in Canada, but has spent most of his life abroad. At first travelling and working in Europe and S.E. Asia in the 1970's and 80's, he later settled in Mexico.
From the Gulf of Siam to the urban wilds of Manhattan his work explores a broad range of subjects reflecting a life of travel and observation. He recently crewed on a square-rigged sailing ship which crossed the Indian Ocean; recording the experience in another of his travel sketchbooks .
He has exhibited in in his native Canada as well as in the U.S., Mexico and the U.K. His paintings can be found in the collections of the United States Dept. of State and in a number of museums as well as private and corporate collections.
He's lived for the last 35 years in San Miguel de Allende where he now shares his home with a sometimes-faithful Schnauzer/Poodle mix.
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