Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-08-19
BY Florence S. Bergman.

The Whyte Gallery is showing
until August 81 work by a young
artist from Iowa, Eric Lloyd Miller
The exhibition includes approx
mately so paintings in oil and
water color, pen drawings, litho-
graphs and other graphic arts The
larger works are hanging in the
gallery; the rest are conveniently
arranged in a portfolio for exami-
nation.
Mr. Miller, who is now only 20,
was in his last year at the Uni
versity of Iowa, when the war
brought him first to Washington
to work for the Government, and
then took him into the Army, in
which he has served at Camp
Blanding and Fort Belvoir. But he
must have used his free time to
good advantage in the last few
years, since most of his dated work
is from 1912 to 1915
At first glance, a visitor might
eXcusably assume that the present
show comprises the work of sew
eral people, so varied are the tech
niques and styles. Mr. Miller has
changed from conservative to alb
stract painting, and most recently
appears to have established himself
temporarily, no doubt in between
these extremes. This versatility is
not surprising, when one learns that
he studied under the guidance of
Jean Chariot, Grant Wood, Philip
Custom, Emil Ganso and Fletcher
Martin. This group has practically
nothing in common save strong
individuality.
Harvest" dated 1912, is predomi-
nantly realistic, an autumnal piano.
rama of a wheat field with the
golden shocks in the foreground.
1t is a beautiful water color. So,
too, are September in Iowa" with
its soft blurred greens, and Sioux
Valley" with it's closeup of black
eyed susans. Others of Mr.. Mil
lers early paintings include lit
tie gouache, "Worthington," depict
ing a church silhouetted against
gathering storm, and Autumn" in
dictated by two farm women storing
food in a barn. West Branch
Road" a large, lushly delineated
water color landscape, seems to sum
up one phase of his work.
WASHINGTON Pictures
His few Washington pictures are
dated '43 and IA. They include a
small gouache, Church of the Pill
grims," which offers the pleasures
of recognition, and pen and wash
drawings of Georgetown and the
Cathedral. The artist completely
missed the monumental quality of
the latter subject.
He turned to abstraction for
his largest work on view, Walk
Through a Strange Street" The
impression the average visitor will
probably derive is that the scene
of the artists stroll was singularly
cold and forbidding. His gouache,
Smoke Screen" gives an abstract
effect, due largely to the vivid colors
used. His water color Fantasy, a
semiabstract panorama. also in
bright colors, resembles a batik from
a distance.
Turning to the current year, dur
ing which Mr. Miller apparently
spent the early months in Florida,
we find a new approach and a very
pleasing one. Simplifcation and
decorative effect are uppermost.
FLORIDA Spring" in delicate grays
and greens, is angular. cool and
fresh. Florida Landscape is wet
ter and brighter; the background
was apparently washed in with fluid
colors on damp paper and the grove
of palm trees put on crisply with a
dry brush. Several other Florida
scenes have similar character and
appeal.
Visitors to this exhibition should
not miss the contents of the port
folio. 1t has some interesting draw
ing, prints and water colors.