Jesse Miller’s new body of work is does not fit comfortably in any established art category. The skillful melding of canvas, paint, wood, lead, and glass is a unique design that serves to place the work in a realm of its own. In the majority of the pieces, the ocean and waves are incorporated in the subject matter. There is a tendency to pigeonhole such work as “surf art,” art about surfing and surf culture. Miller’s art is fundamentally different. The concept that is realized in each piece reaches far beyond the surfing world, propelling the work into a progressive fine art arena.

J.R.
What were your first encounters with the surfing culture and lifestyle?

J.M.
I was brought up in a surfing family and spent every weekend at San Onofre from the time I was in my mom’s oven until I was old enough to get down there on my own.

J.R.
How did that influence you to make surf-related art?

J.M.
I have always been interested in art ever since I can remember and because I grew up at the beach I think consciously and subconsciously the two came together.

J.R.
How did you come to use the surfboard as a medium for your art ?

J.M.
As far as I know my dad [Larry Miller] was the first to use chalk on foam as a means for creative expression on boards back in the 70s. My dad and Newport Beach shaper Mike Marshall were hanging out, having a few beers, as Mike was finishing up a freshly shaped stick. Wanting to add a little flavor to the board, Mike asked my dad if he would throw some art on it. He agreed and struck off to fetch his art box. Upon returning he realized that the only thing he had on him was his box of chalk pastels. Without hesitation, he threw down some lines and quickly finished what would become his first of many chalk jobs. As I grew up, I watched my dad do plenty of boards over the years. As I came into my own it just seemed natural to carry on the tradition. To this day the majority of chalk jobs I do are on Marshalls.

J.R.
So did this work lead you toward other jobs within the surfing industry ?

J.M.
Yeah. Growing up in Costa Mesa in the late 80s was great because almost all of the major surf companies that we know today sprouted their roots in there. Being a surf-stoked artist with these companies in my backyard made it possible for me to infiltrate the surf industry at an early age. I was a junior in high school when I landed freelance graphic jobs for Billabong and Quiksilver, which got my foot in the door and eventually enabled me to freelance for almost every surf company around.

J.R.
Were you creating fine art as well as commissioned work at this time?

J.M.
Yes and no. At the time, the freelance work was pretty much my only means for creative expression. The art that I was doing was my own work but because I was working for companies I was constantly compromising to please the masses. Around the peak of my frustration of working for sales-driven art directors, a friend of mine came to me with the opportunity of starting my own company featuring my work the way I wanted to do it. We started a small art-based company called Green Sun. It was to be a company that went against all that soul-less surf companies stood for. Instead of turning people into walking advertisements I decided to do mostly logo-less designs, focusing on the art instead of the name. With Green Sun I wasn’t looking to sell out to every strip mall and surf shop I could, but instead, nurture something that was as pure and underground as I could make it. It still lives on today as America’s number one underground company, nearly impossible to get unless you come into contact with a handful of people that carry it.

J.R.
What led you to create the fine art that you are doing today?

J.M.
As I worked on the freelance graphic art projects several people had asked me to do paintings for them even though I had never painted before. Being the starving artist that I was I told them all the same thing, buy me some paints, canvas, and brushes and I would be happy to. One such person finally called my bluff and within a few days of our conversation he showed up to take me to see the Van Gogh show in L.A. I was inspired to say the least and immediately following the show we went to the art store and I got the proper ingredients to kick off my painting career.

J.R.
Tell me about the mixed medium works you have been doing.

J.M.
I have been cultivating a multi-medium style for the past few years. As I started painting I also began to learn the ways of leaded glass from my Godfather who had taught my dad and my brother [Trevor Miller] before me. Learning how to use this new medium combined with growing up in my dad’s woodshop laid the groundwork for the unique art I began to create.

J.R.
What messages if any do you want to get across with your art?

J.M.
I’m doing new and different things with my art to try and wake people out of the sleep inducing art that’s out there right now. To me, most of the art that’s being created these days is tired and predictable. I am interested in creating artwork that is both aesthetically pleasing and informative. Pieces such as Overpopulation for Sale, Surfstar, and Greenhouse deal with some of the political issues of the time. In doing this I hope to engage people in thought and conversation.