Claire Milner
After graduating, British artist Claire Milner worked as an illustrator in London, where she was commissioned by many large corporations and publishing houses, before going on to become an independent artist. One of her first commissions in this capacity was a large-scale crystal mosaic portrait of Marilyn for Rihanna which is in the singer’s private art collection.
The work appeared on The Official Website of The Estate of Marilyn Monroe, was showcased by Swarovski, and included in a special edition of Vogue Paris, guest edited by Rihanna, who featured the work in a profile of her favourite things.
As an artist, Milner shares, “I believe that now more than ever an artist’s role is to hold a mirror up to the issues of our time. The main focus of my content is universal: life and death, climate change, our impact on the environment, habitat loss and the current rapid rate of extinction. All of which are issues which have devastating implications as the biggest challenges we face. Without the resolution of these overarching issues, we will not have the luxury to concern ourselves with others. Environmental references such as climate change and mass extinction have been the central focus of my image making for more than two decades.”
“Inspired by my love of Africa and recalling my time spent living and travelling there and throughout South America, my primary focus relates to nature, our place within it and encroachment upon it, emphasizing the uneasy juxtaposition of abundance and loss and the connection and disconnect between humankind and the natural world. My work contrasts commercial values with environmental ideals as determinants of worth. The impact of humanity is always implicit, even when the human figure is absent or plays a minor role in the composition. Portrayals of animals’ interchange between the metaphoric and the literal.
My methods include mixed media, paint, digital collage, and typography, as well as the incorporation of rigorous mosaic methodologies. My process begins with extensive research into my subject matter. These references are interwoven with allusions to historical art and literature in the final composition where realistic and abstract elements coexist. The resulting collections have a multi-layered tactile aesthetic, presenting a surface optimism, alluding to much darker issues on subsequent viewings, signifying both chaos and order.”