Patrick Miller discusses his work*
On working with concrete:
I have been passionate about working with concrete for years. To me it
is a very durable functional art form and I like to convey that in every
piece we create.
When the concrete comes out of the mold, it’s like a painter’s
canvas and the diamond grinder is like a paintbrush. I can transform the
unexciting appearance of the concrete and bring it to life revealing the
stones, aggregate, fine metals, or whatever objects have been embedded
in the surface. Then, with the grinder, I can bring out subtle nuances
and a beautiful visual texture that is really different than other concrete
or natural stone products.
On the relationship of his work with nature:
I used to backpack quite a bit in the Sierra Mountains. I became intrigued
with mountain streams, with water wearing down smooth surfaces. I like
to create that feeling of the Sierras in my projects, the smooth worn
look, especially in my sinks.
We use rocks from Austin Creek in West Sonoma County. These rocks are
100 to 150 million years old, they were created when the landscape around
us was being shaped. There are several different types each with a history
of how, where and when they were formed. There is one called blueschist
that has copper-looking dots that are actually garnets embedded in the
rock.
On new designs in the works:
We’re working on a new artisan series of mixes containing artistically
placed cut recycled glass bottles, large slice river rocks and shells
embedded in concrete, demonstrating that green techniques can be elegant,
unusual and environmentally friendly.
On the process of creating his unusual bath vanities:
For the fusion sinks, which I create with artist Stephen FitzGerald, the
metal is fused right into the concrete. We have developed an innovative
technique that we use to solve the technical challenge of the metal expanding
and causing cracks in the concrete. We don’t know of anyone else
who’s doing this; it’s really an original form of concrete
art.
On working green:
I am really concerned about the status of the environment and what we
can do to help reduce our ecological footprint on the planet. The transportation
of these heavy materials is a big factor. All the stone and aggregate
we use is harvested locally and sustainably by award-winning Bohan and
Canelis. They’re the only ones I know that are doing it that way.
We also recycle 80% of our production water, we use recycled products
and we use non-toxic materials like our water based/low VOC (volatile
organic compounds) sealant.
When we have leftover concrete from a project we make color samples with
the extra and that way nothing goes to waste. We don’t throw anything
away.
*Unpublished interview, April 20, 2007
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