Dates: 2 – 26 Feb 2016

Joshua Miles‘s first encounter with printmaking was in the studio of his aunt, Elsa Miles. Her expressive single colour woodcuts resonated with him from an early age. He attended Michaelis and there he was exposed to print making in all its guises: etching, mono prints, stone litho and woodblock printing. It was however the 2 woodcut projects that the legendary Cecil Scotness presented, that made a lasting impression on Joshua and set him on the journey into the exploration of the medium he now works in. “He was an inspirational and gifted teacher who fostered my passion for the printing process.” says Joshua.

Joshua’s first love is woodcuts. The simplicity of Japanese woodcuts and the way they roll up their ink as well as the mark making of Zen paintings are evident in his work. He also sites the colour and light of the Impressionists and the raw passion and mark making of the German Expressionists as strong influences. He is also inspired by Constable’s oil drawings, the work of Hugo Naudè, Pierneef’s linos and the quality of early morning light with all it’s subtle nuances.

His camera is always by his side and he goes on as many image hunting trips as possible, although he only uses a fraction of the images that he captures. The images that he chooses are the things he finds beautiful: from and old fishing boat to the milky light of a late Karoo afternoon.

Joshua believes that it is important to always be honest with yourself and to love what you do. This honesty comes through in his work and it is quite evident that loves what he does!