Monograph Bookwerks

George Miller: 18 West 11th Street [1970]

Miller, George

A poster as artwork, or a conceptual piece by George Miller documenting his experience around the Weather Underground bomb explosion at 18 West 11th in New York on March 6, 1970. The poster reads "George Miller, 18 West 11th Street, March 15-May 15, 1970, New York City" and includes a photograph of the destroyed townhouse at that address, which was exploded when a bomb being constructed in the basement by members of the Weather Underground detonated. Three members of the Underground died in the blast. Miller was in New York and three blocks away at the time of the explosion. For two weeks after the blast he photographed and collected documents at the site daily. The posters were mailed to prominent counterculture figures, U.S. galleries, and major newspapers, some with packets containing actual debris from the explosion. An edition of 200.

Miller received his MFA from Rutgers University in 1968, and was an Assistant Professor at at the University of Oregon from 1968-1970. His work was conceptual, and often technology or sound related. In 1971 he traveled to Los Angeles to join Allan Kaprow on the faculty of the California Institute of the Arts. He also spent some time in New York, and Willoughby Sharp recorded (in NYC on March 4, 1969 from 8:15-8:18pm) and released a 45 rpm sound recording of Miller's work with Theodosius Victoria, Audio Structures/Systems, that was presented at the Henri Gallery, Washington, D.C., in April of 1969.

In 1970, at Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa, Miller presented, along with Buena Vista College instructor Phil Hitchcock, an "environmental happening," using garbage shipped in from Chicago that students were asked to distribute in Storm Lake garbage cans. The students would thus receive stimuli and information from the trash, Hitchcock said. "Garbage can be information, just like books and the news media." Miller presented an "art-form lecture" at the college on "environmental sensory systems" which included reading the entire 1970 weather report from the Farmer's Almanac, along with gourmet recipes from old ocean shipping line companies. Three students rushed the stage and tried to turn off the microphone, but were pushed back. Item #149.

Condition: Very Good, folded as issued, address to receiver written in blue ballpoint pen on back, but unmailed, 1.25" small blank white sliver of a (mailing?) label adhered to left border, barely visible on poster.

Artist Multiple
18" x 24"
Offset printed
New York: Circa 1970

Price: $350.00