DISTINCTLY UNIQUE LIVES: WALKER & MILLER STILL KICKING THE EDGES AT OGUNQUIT

John Walker (b. 1939), Seal Point Series #V VIII, 2007, oil on bingo card, 7 1/4” x 5 1/2”. © John Walker. Courtesy Alexandre Gallery, New York.

What does it take to become a celebrated artist? One who kicks the edges, who does it their way. One who accumulates all the credentials and accolades. One who keeps growing, even in their 80s. Well, if that definition fits anyone, it undoubtedly fits the two artists who are exhibiting concurrently at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art (Ogunquit, Maine).

Both are 83. Both are highly accomplished. Both are distinctly unique artists. Both are worth the trip to this beautiful backroad coastal area of Maine. But the similarities end there.

We are all products of our life experiences. But I think artists tend to express those experiences more readily than other professions. Certainly, writers who write fiction (and often portray characters who reflect those they know or themselves) also do this. But visual artists oftencan do it blatantly, and it’s not always immediately discernible by the viewer, yet they admire the work, nevertheless. Both of these artists live this expression, even if you, as the viewer, don’t understand it until you dig deeper.

“John Walker: From Low Tide to High Tide” is an exhibition portraying the artist’s exploration of Maine coastal landscapes and the movement of the tides. “Sue Miller: Personal Voyage” is an exhibition of paintings spanning nearly 40 years of the artist’s career and her works that are both representational and abstract, indicative of her life’s voyage.

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