With OUI, Harland Miller distills affirmation into something vibrant, seductive, and psychologically charged. Like much of his work, this piece blends the visual language of vintage book covers with painterly abstraction - but here, the single word oui (French for "yes") becomes a statement of intent, attitude, and ambiguity. It’s both a celebration and a provocation.
Miller’s background as a novelist and artist informs his fascination with how words shift meaning depending on their visual setting. “It’s simple but kinda mind-blowing,” he has said, “the way colour alters how we read text.” In OUI, the searing interplay of rich reds, luminous yellows, and candy pinks infuses the composition with heat and energy. The result is a work that pulses with both optimism and sensuality - yet, as always with Miller, the irony simmers just beneath the surface.
Painted forms melt into typography, blurring abstraction and design, past and present. The bold affirmation of "Oui", set in bold black lowercase, contrasts with the almost feverish chaos surrounding it. What are we saying yes to? Enthusiasm? Desire? Complicity?
Visually arresting and emotionally layered, OUI is Miller’s nod to the complex dance between word and colour, certainty and ambiguity. It’s an invitation, a provocation, and a quiet dare, boldly printed in Technicolor.