Peter Millett

Peter Millett, a Seattle-based artist, has been exploring the mystery of common forms in his artwork since the late 1970s. Raised within the rich architectural history of Chicago, Millett’s journey across the world brought inspiration from costume and ritual, vernacular architecture, and sacred monuments. His geometric intricacies, evident in both sculpture and drawings, echo the intense patterns found in ancient tile work of Iranian mosques, while the repeated but irregular lines carry the memory of textiles woven on simple looms by Andean weavers.

Millett’s work, with its abstract quality, is a blend of personal and global influences. Construction-grade dimensional wood, painted in monochrome hues, hints at the timber of the Northwest, grounding the work in a regional context. His art embodies a unique blend of barn-door modernism.

An extended trip to Iran in 1975, while his architect father was working on a project there, proved to be informative to Millett’s sculptural visual vocabulary. This established a pattern of travel, visiting Malaysia, Bali, Peru, Ecuador and Mexico, and cultural learning that has continued throughout his career.

Millett has shown recently at the Museum of Northwest Art, and has been with Greg Kucera Gallery since 1993.

Adapted from www.monamuseum.org/peter-millett