McAlpine Miller shows how to engage young art investors, combining bold ideas with complex technique to challenge superficial society

“Test your strength”

State-of-the-Arts Gallery (Hong Kong) is presenting a new exhibition by renowned artist McAlpine Miller, until 31st December 2011. ‘Living for the Moment’ portrays Miller’s thoughts on an energy-laden society, capturing and challenging the admiration of celebrated, yet superficial objects, such as Fame and Perfection.

Using a vast array of tones, Miller paints convincing illusions of transparencies and multi-mediums in a busy, far-fetched blur of objects, portraying an overwhelmed consumer society. Contrasting cartoon superheroes with stylish celebrities suggests unrealistic idealism – the reality of celebrities’ appearances as impossible as the existence of cartoon superheroes. The comic nature of the illustrations, coupled with the way in which they overlap, also implies their shallow existence.

“Alice through the looking glass”

“His unique style is likely to engage much younger buyers,” says gallery curator, Elizabeth Lau. “Young consumers are a tougher market for artists to make money from, as they generally prefer simpler and therefore, more reproduce-able, modern art. Miller defies this, showing how to appeal to young art lovers with greater technical complexity, making such pieces more commercially valuable.”

After graduating with Honours from Glasgow School of Art, Miller’s work has been exhibited through Europe and America. In 1996, he was shortlisted for the Provost Award at Kelvingrove Art Galleries and Museums. He recently won the commission for 8 paintings in The Savoy Hotel in London as ‘artist in residence’ for 6 months, which previously included Monet – proving contemporary art can be as valued as classic.

“The shape of things to come- 3D Relief”