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Millet House Digital Newsletter

Issue #1-1

Sep 27 2018

Contemplation in the Wasteland, Craig Thornton, Featured Artist

The current September 14-October 26 2018 show features the work of Mesa artist Craig Thornton, accompanied by Juried Artists and the Millet House Art Collective.

Craig Thornton’s work has a Game of Thrones vibe, with large portraits of very real individuals–but individuals who exist on another planet, in another time. Craig, a man who exudes peace, has said that these people are his heroes. These are figures with great strength of character, he adds, living in a beautiful but harsh environment–an environment with lakes of lava, but also an environment of war. The images draw forth imagined stories from the viewer; one figure might be a queen, and next to her is a confidante or bodyguard. Another may be a healer. Craig researched medieval armor and placed some of his figures in what he calls more dramatic versions of that armor. Other figures, women, are dressed only in war paint and tattoos.

But the eyes are not those of humans, nor are the colors.

Craig has also explained that the figures are from science fiction and his own personal mythology. In this exhibit he has brought them to life. They face what is before them with a calm that borders on the meditative. The gallery has become a portrait hall, lent from one of the castles that background some of the portraits.

Craig is currently working on triptyches that might grace an altar, and as he moves in that direction he has created a diptych, two mysterious figures hanging at the Millet over a furniture piece that has become, in essence, an altar.

Two more receptions are scheduled before the show closes October 26: Mesa Second Friday Night Out artwalk, October 13, and the Closing Reception on October 26, both 6-9 pm. Light refreshments will be served during both evenings.

The gallery is also open for viewing and purchase most days Monday through Saturday 10-3 pm, but as the Millet House is staffed by volunteers, it is best to call or email before visiting.

In the next two issues we will talk about some of the work on display by supporting artists who have interpreted the theme in their own way.