In Conversation with Crystal Miller
The interview with Crystal Miller at her personal studio
Introduce yourself.
Hi. My name is Crystal Miller, aka @crymuseum. I was born in Michigan, and I am the eighth resident artist.
Okay, so the first question is, just what have you been up to since your residency?
I've been working on my new solo show that's going to be at The Quarter on August 22nd. I just been working on that. I've been painting a lot. I've been trying to get stuff together for the new residency show. Also a show that I have with The Verge Fellowship. So just been painting in my studio pretty much all day. Day and night. That's like my life right now. Painting and going to the beach. That's what I've been doing. I go when the lifeguards leave because I'm not trying to have someone dictate where I swim. So I'll wait to leave at seven and then swim until 1 am. Yeah. Because I get to see the stars and the moon. Everything. And I just love night swimming. And no one's there. And it's pitch black. And I'm like, ooh, I'm missing the water. But also, if they're there you can't, like, go out as far and like, I'm trying to go out like, you know. So I'm not trying to be this. Oh. Or like I'll sit on the rocks and pretend I'm a mermaid or something. Like, literally that.
Are you pro or anti people bringing boomboxes to the beach?
So, I actually bring a speaker to me. So I'm actually one of those people not like a boombox, but like a jibble. I never say JBL. Jibble is cuter.
How would you say your overall experience at feverdream was?
Honestly, it was really good. You know, I had you there, so it was really nice. I also think that I was able to have my own space. That's why I really like it. Just have my own little corner that I can go to and work on my stuff. And I also felt really good about the fact that I could get instant feedback from you. So that was also really nice.
What would you say you learned about your artistic practice during your stay?
So I would say one thing I did learn is I'm a very visual learner. So seeing you paint honestly helped me because, you know, I do think that you are a good painter. So seeing you paint, I was like okay let me focus on some of the techniques that you're using and try to implement them into what I'm doing. And I think that helped me with blending better and doing stuff like that, because before I was not really blending. I was more like just tiling colors next to each other. And so being able to actually blend and paint a little bit better. You were really helpful in that.
How did you see this opportunity as a boost for yourself as an emerging artist? Did you feel that it set you ahead?
Oh, yeah. I had this space at the time, this studio space. But also having another space that I can go to and just paint and chill and be up there and talk to you. And just having another artist, you, in the same room is really nice because it also wants you to be more creative, but also work on your stuff. You're like seeing someone else be creative and paint. So you're like oh, I want to do that too. So like, that was nice. I would say the money aspect too. So getting some funds from this to actually buy materials for this specifically was really good. So I didn't have to go out of my own pocket to pay for the materials. So that was good.
How did this experience lead to experimentation in your artmaking and what did you experiment with?
Yeah, I would say how I was painting. The blending aspect was kind of what I experimented more on and just really taking my time and I think really thinking about what I was painting too.
And also one of my pieces, I actually refrained from using a lot of appliques and decor and rhinestones and gems. Which is something that I'm not really used to. Other pieces I definitely did those things that I normally would. But in one of my pieces I was like I actually want to do a piece where I'm really just focusing on the painting and not, you know, throwing a whole bunch of beads and glitter at it.
So painting was a vehicle to get you to the 3-dimensional parts of the work?
Exactly. Yeah.
Inside Crystal’s studio
Did you surprise yourself?
Yeah, I surprised myself by just even applying for something like this because I usually would not apply to any residency. Like this is the first one I ever did, and it was a three month one. So that was like something that scared me. But honestly, I surprised myself. Like oh my gosh, I'm actually doing something that I thought that I would never do. Going into space that I've never been in, meeting people that I've never met, you know, and painting around people which I never really do. I’m usually very isolated when I work. So that was just like a new experience for me. And now I feel like I have more confidence to actually apply to other residencies if I wanted to.
What you were most nervous about coming into the program? Was it just the prospect of coming into the residency program in general?
Yeah, because I really did not know what to expect. I was like Are they going to be mean to me? Will there be rules I have to follow? I'm very much a free-spirited person. So I don't really like rules and stuff like that. I kind of just want to do what I want. So it was really fun because it was more chill and laid back. So I was like okay so I can come here, paint, do what I want you know? And that was the best part, there wasn't a lot of constraints. So you guys weren't constricting me or stuff like that.
So what would you say is your favorite piece that you made during your residency
Definitely my Inner Verse piece. That was my favorite because I kind of took what I learned from the first piece that I did, the flower piece, and then applied it to that piece. Painting more blended, really focusing on the colors more and like having those undertones really pop out at the viewer. And the materiality too, I definitely felt like I was cleaner with applying the beads and also doing some airbrushing. I'm not the most talented airbrusher. So getting into that a little bit more and just, I don't know, just playing around with a whole bunch of different materials. But making it cleaner, making it look more professional. And also for the border too. I have never used a satin ribbon for my border. So making it look really clean and nice by making those ruffles. And yeah, it turned out really great and I'm super excited about that piece. I'm excited to show it. It’s one of my favorite pieces right now in my studio. So yeah, the satin really mimics the paint. And it's also literally the same color as the lashes. I don't know how I did that but it just came together and I love it.
And in the flower one, I did varnish that one. So that's why it probably looks a little bit more glossy. I'm trying to be more professional with it. So I only did that because it didn't have a lot of materials on it. I feel like when you have a lot of materials on your piece, it's hard to like varnish over that because I don't want to lose that shine that it has. Sometimes when you put a gloss over a rhinestone or something it loses that sparkle and it makes it just look kind of dull and flat. But for that one I just put glitter over the lashes. You can't really see it–up close you kind of can. But I did like a black and blue glitter and mixed it together, and put on the lashes.
That's also another thing about the residency is I was actually trying to figure out different ways to really change up the frames because I feel like a lot of my other pieces I would use like tulle or ribbon or feather boas to do for my frames. But I was like you know what? Let's change it up, let's do something different. So that's why I was like really trying to focus on
What would you say your biggest takeaway from the residency was?
I definitely think the studio visit that I had with Lauren [Pierce] was very influential. Because she's someone that I already looked up to for years. I've been following her on Instagram for years. And actually meeting her in person multiple times. She actually wants to have a relationship with me. So that's really nice to have a studio visit with an artist that actually is hey I actually want to get to know you and get to know your art. Sometimes we have studio visits where it’s like okay, here's the art and I'm just going to talk to you about your art and then never see you again. You know, for me to look up to her as an artist and then her also wanting to be like hey we should go and do something really give me positive feedback about my art, but also be hey you need to be getting paid more for your art. You need to price your stuff better. Really like sitting me down and telling me the hard truths about stuff too is very valuable.
What makes a successful studio visit in your eyes? What at the end has you thinking “that was worth my time?”
I think what makes a good studio visit is them actually asking you questions that are valuable to your work asking you hey what are some of the things that you like, what are some of the artists that you're looking at? But also it can be questions that are outside of your art that are influencing you to make. What makes you wake up today? You know what I mean? Stuff that drives you to just keep on living. So I think questions like that and also like those hard truths again.Being like hey this is what you should be doing or what you need to be doing, and also having someone who “more successful than you” to come in and be like hey this is like how I got to where I was and where I'm at. I feel like this is what you should do too. But also saying it in a supportive way and not in a bashing way like oh, this is what you need to be doing. Or you suck. Stuff like that. So yeah being supportive about it.
And also you can tell when someone is really passionate about their work and someone who is a figure in the community. You can tell when you sit down with that person to have a studio visit–the words that they say, the compassion that comes out of them. You can tell that they really live this and I want to have a studio visit with people like that.
Does that change? When it's a peer or when it's someone who you look up to that you would say is more mid-career or more established?
I don't necessarily see people as superior to me. I think that everyone's equal. So [even if] you're more successful than me, I still feel like we're equal because I'm in my own lane. You're in your own lane. And yes, I want to be where you are one day. But that doesn't mean you're above me. So when I have studio visits with people who are also emerging artists, it's still the same. Like I said when that person is very passionate about what they're doing and their art or let's say they're someone who's from an organization. You can tell when they're actually passionate about the artists in that community. But you can also tell when they're not if they're dismissing you, not really talking about you talking about your work. You can tell they don't really care. They're just, you know, there to talk to you and maybe have you in a show. They're not actually trying to create a relationship with you. And that's very important to me. I want to have relationships with the people that are doing the good studio visits, you know? I mean I don't want to just talk to you one day and then never see you again. It's very important for me to establish that relationship so that in the future maybe there could be an opportunity for a collaboration. Maybe I could help them out with something. Maybe they can help me out with something. You know what I mean? So I don't want to just do a one-and-done. It just feels very like [disingenuous] andI just really love having connections with other people. I'm not from here so having that community is very important to me.
Was there anything from the final critique or studio visits that you still think about that you want to share?
Yeah, I think with Lauren's it felt a little bit more beneficial only because I love a studio visit where it's one on one, you know? I mean we're really having that intimate moment in space to actually really talk about art. It was also beneficial but more in the way where I love hearing the people's feedback after the work is like already either finished or in-progress. I love hearing what they have to say because I can now go back and tweak some things if I really need to. I think with Lauren's we were just like talking about art in general and not really talking about the pieces I was necessarily working on, but just art in general.
So I think with the last critique it was still beneficial. I mean they loved the pieces. That makes me happy. And I wish I could have saw them more during the residency because I was like, y'all are cool. I would think I would say that they're both beneficial. I can’t honestly say that there was something that there was like oh someone says something that I necessarily like took away from that. I think both of them were like, really good. And I actually can tell that they took their time to actually say stuff about it. Some people, they say one thing and they're like okay, I'm done. I'm not going to spending more time on this. But no, it was actually pretty long and I'm glad that they actually took time out of their day to really talk about the work.
Detail shot of “Cosmic Beauty”
Who is your favorite artist at the moment?
Devan Shimoyama. And also Mickalene Thomas. I give her props. I would say both of those artists. I have looked up to them for a long time. I feel like I'm not in the same lane as them successfully, but I'm doing similar things as they are. Using similar materials that they are, talking about similar subjects and themes. Somethings I was like doing before I really knew who they were as artists. Finding them and being like oh, okay you're using the same materials you're also talking about the same themes and I don't know they're just the best. And what they do they truly are. If I am lacking in inspiration I'll read about some of the things that they're talking about or even look at some of their art. You can tell when someone really lives and breathes this shit and those are the artists that do. And then also you can really see through their work their individuality and their identity. That's what I really like about them. They're very authentic and true to who they are as people. And I align myself with that a lot. I want to be my most authentic self. I don't want to be anyone else. That's also something that I feel comes through my work too. I am very authentically me. What I'm doing is what I'm doing. I also think that's what sets them apart from other people. I want to do the same. I don't want to be like everybody else. I want my work to really stand out, and I think they're doing that very successfully.
What is something you consistently drew inspiration from?
So in general, where I get my inspiration from is fashion magazines. I don't know if you heard the magazine Ebony. Ebony magazines and this book by Kevyn Aucoin. He was like a very famous makeup artist back in the 80s and 90s I think. But that book, it's just a book full of different makeup looks. I also feel like that inspires some of my pieces, especially when I'm painting the makeup or finding different materials to apply to their lips or their eyeliner or stuff like that. Or their lashes. Just looking at books like that. I don't even look at that many art books. I look at books that have to do with fashion, beauty, makeup, hair.
I get a lot of inspiration from Drag Race too, because I love Drag Race. I love RuPaul's Drag Race. I love drag queens in general. So I get a lot of inspiration from their creativity, the looks that they're doing, and all that. A lot of the stuff that I was thinking about during my residency for some of my pieces. That's why you can see a lot of exaggeration. The hair is very high and up and put together. The lashes are very long. You can see those influences in my pieces.
What's your biggest piece of advice for applying to residencies and other opportunities?
Okay. This is going to sound crazy. This is my secret, but it's not going to work for everyone. The thing about me is when I apply to stuff I just believe that I'm going to get it. I believe once I hit the submit button, I'm like okay, I know I'm going to get it. And then I do. And this you just have to know in your mind and your soul and your heart that you are going to get it. But I think that's because I'm very passionate about what I do and I think that translates through to my application. So if you are applying and you're kind of half-assing it, you might not get it. But if you're applying and you're really spending your time–I'm not spending a couple hours on these applications. Sometimes it might take days, maybe one whole day, but I'm not just doing it quickly. It's not like oh, let me just write it–no, I'm actually taking my time. So take your time, be clear about your vision because if someone's reading it and they're oh, I don't really know, what is going on, I can't understand it. They're immediately going to be like no, we can't understand your vision. You're not getting it. So I think having a clear vision and talking about your work very precisely, knowing yourself. I feel like people know when people know their work and they know themselves.
That's some good pointers. But my point isI just know I'm going to get it. So that's what happens. And I'm not even trying to be cocky. I just believe it's me. Like lowkey manifesting it. I think that's the thing that people don't realize is you have to be vulnerable. You have to be authentically you. People can tell when you are not being you. They can tell when you're being a knockoff or you're being a fake. So I feel like since I'm not any of those things, people can really see me. And also I value vulnerability over everything. I value being myself and like being authentic. So I think that's why I get the opportunities I get.
But yeah, just believe. Just believe in yourself and you will get it. Simple as that. You can’t have any doubts. That's the one thing that people don't realize. If you doubt yourself for a second, if you're going to get it or not, you're not going to get it. There has to be really no doubt in your mind. You might say it’s delusion. I might be delusional, but being delusional is also what helps me get these opportunities. When you apply you're like I already have this. That's really what I thought about this residency. I'm like oh, I already in a couple months I'm going to go to my residency. And that's what I thought. Like I didn't think like oh, am I going to get or not? Like, no, I'm going to be there in a couple months. And I feel like the universe grants you opportunities when you are ready. Like the universe sees that you're already ready and if you don't get the opportunity, it just wasn't meant for you at that time. And you should never get upset about it, because you should know that in the future there's something even bigger coming for you. There's been times where I didn't get opportunities, but then I got bigger opportunities.
So it's okay, that little opportunity–the universe is like there's something bigger coming for you, girl. So just hold on.
What are you looking forward to in your career the most?
I do have very big goals, but I'm not going to say my big, big ones because I believe that you keep those secrets to yourself. But I will say stuff that is coming up for me already. So obviously how my solo show that's coming up. And then I have a collab show with Derek Walker in January at the Cleveland Library. The new one that is on Martin Luther King. It's amazing. It's a huge space. We're about to have a huge show there. So that's going to be really exciting. I have another group show in May at Urban Art Space in Columbus. I'm going to have a group show there. So I already have things planned for next year.
As far as, like even farther out, I don't necessarily know. All I want to do is literally just paint and be an artist. And that's what I want to do for the rest of my life. In the most simplest terms, that's essentially what I want to do for the rest of my life until I die. Like that is literally it. I don't want to do anything else. I know that I do need to get more on my business era where I'm really marketing myself, selling prints and stuff. I definitely want to do more vendor events and markets and stuff. So I want to start doing that too because I've done that in the past and I really enjoyed it. And also it gives people an opportunity to buy my work without spending thousands of dollars.They're like oh, I can buy a little print or like stickers or merch. I really want to get into making merch for myself too. I think that's more of a future thing I definitely want to work on and expand. I want a bigger studio. I eventually want a warehouse for my art-making because I want to do so many different things. I don't want to just paint. I want to build stuff. I want to get more into my sculpture era. Doing more sculptural stuff. I want to do ceramics at some point. I want to do a lot of different things I can't do in this little small studio though. So getting to a point where I can afford a bigger space and to really do what I want. But baby steps, baby steps, you know, just working on what I can for right now.
The interview with Crystal Miller at her personal studio
While you are working, You're only allowed one piece, like one type of media while you're working. What's the soundtrack to your studio like your studio?
I am watching The Real Housewives of Atlanta. I just need to get into that luxury mindset, you know? I mean I feel like media really shapes people. And so when I watch stuff like that, I'm like, oh I'm going to be living a lavish life like that. It puts you in the mindset of comfortability, you know, financially stable, stuff like that. It's crazy you ask that question because that's all I've been watching lately and I've watched all 16 seasons three times already. I've been watching some of my favorite seasons lately. I've been watching season six because that is the best season they have. I would say that that show is just too good. Also, I recommend it for y'all. Even if you don't watch reality TV, you should watch it. Stream it. Period. It's on Peacock.
I think that it's worth the price of admission of Peacock though, because it's really cheap. Low key. I was watching Love Island a little bit and I can't get past episode five. I'm so sorry. I'm like, girl this is not good. I've watched some I watched the last season too and I just couldn't get into it I think becauseI just hate the bickering, the drama–but also I'm literally yelling at my screen, like girl, like, what are you doing? You're really letting these men treat you like shit. Or do y'all watch Master Chef? You need to. Or what is it called… The Great British Baking Show? I used to watch that all the time. It's literally so good. I'm like why is everyone not watching this? I love their accents. I love baking. But just watching one? Yeah The Real Housewives of Atlanta. I've watched the other ones. There's other ones, there's New Jersey, there's New York, there's Salt Lake City. But Atlanta is the best. It's just superior. Best of all of them.
And what is the best Sims CC pack?
Oh, my God. Oh, okay. That would be probably Basemental. It's called Basemental mods. And it's basically for if you want to do drug-dealing in the game or if you want to have alcohol in the game or gambling in the game. Basically things that probably shouldn't be in a family-friendly game. You can get it in that mod. It basically is the underground. There's worse mods I be installing. That's the clean version for the video.
