New York’s Bravest Honored in a Pop-Up Exhibition at the New York City Fire Museum, by Acclaimed UK Artist, Alexander Millar
New York’s firefighters are renowned across the world for their valor, dedication and sacrifice. Now, they have inspired the acclaimed UK artist Alexander Millar to create a new body of work that honors the city’s ‘Bravest’ and celebrates the qualities that make them some of the most extraordinary working people on the planet.
Taking inspiration from archive material from the New York City Fire Museum, and the Vulcan Society (a fraternal organization of Black Firefighters), including photographs of the 18th, 19th and 20th century firefighter, Millar has created a collection of portraits and cityscapes that show respect, humor and warmth for the everyday heroes of the city, communicating a strong sense of the people behind the uniforms.
Millar launched his new collection, Everyday Heroes • NYC, at the New York City Fire Museum on April 3rd. special guests were able to view original artwork in oil and pencil, all of which have been created especially for the museum in Millar’s trademark contemporary impressionist style.
After a short run at the museum, the show will transfer to the Millar Fine Art Pop-Up Gallery, on 138 Wooster Street, in Soho, New York on April 7th, 2018 for an expanded exhibition which will bring together critically-acclaimed work from recent years, alongside his new collection inspired by New York and its working people, from the fire department and beyond.
20% of the profits from sales of one of his new artworks, ‘Everyday Heroes’ will be donated, to the city’s Fire Museum and the Vulcan Society.
Images from last night’s event below
Painting of Wesley A. Williams, born in Manhattan in 1897, Wesley A. Williams became only the third African-American to join the New York City Fire Department, at a time of segregation and discrimination. He became the first African-American to be promoted to the rank of officer, when he became a lieutenant in 1927. He retired in 1952 with the rank of battalion chief. (Deceased). In the photo above Charles Williams (right), grandson of Wesley Williams was photographed with portrait of his late grand father Wesley A. Williams.
See link to images here
About the Artist:
Alexander Millar is critically acclaimed for his depictions of industrial cities; his work is strongly influenced by the working men and women of the late 19th and 20th century. His subject matter combined with his impressionistic, impasto style has seen him described as JMW Turner meets LS Lowry.
Emotive and dramatic skies and industryscapes are created with a broad colour palette, loose, impasto brush strokes and an almost energetic and frenzied composition. With his impressionistic skies and landscapes, Millar brings to life eras and scenes that were arguably a struggle and a trial; yet his obvious fondness for the time and the people he paints gives a nostalgic and warm impression of days gone by.
Born and raised in the small mining community of Springside, just outside the town of Kilmarnock on the west coast of Scotland, Alexander Millar was surrounded by laborers, working men, and women, earning their trade in the mills, shipping industries, steelworks or railways.
The importance of these people to their communities and industries stuck with him, and they have become the central figures in his paintings ever since. Alexander Millar’s artwork focuses on the individuals and, latterly, the industryscapes in which they existed.
Nowadays, Alexander Millar is a self-taught artist known around the world, he has received great critical acclaim from some of the world’s most respected art critics. His work continues to be inspired by the working men and women of our communities and cities, and over the coming months and years will feature interpretations of 21st-century workers, in Alexander Millar’s unique style.
Alexander Millar’s original paintings regularly sell for upwards of $20,000.
