John Miller Turns Classic Diner Food Into Glass Sculptures

The day before his show is set to begin installation at the Lowe Art Museum, artist John Miller cheerily jumps on a call with New Times. The joy of speaking about his work can be felt from miles away and over invisible airwaves.

Miller will present 35 pieces as part of his aptly titled exhibition, "Order Up!" opening at the Lowe Art Museum on Friday, October 27. The artist replicates classic American diner foods, like burgers and fries, using traditional glassblowing and glass sculpting techniques.

The Bloomington, Illinois, resident shares how he spends a great deal of time sketching when he goes out to eat at diners. He quickly discovered that the foods he was drawing translated well into glasswork.

"It made sense to me to replicate some of these food objects, these iconic American foods," he says.

The 57-year-old glass artist happily recalls growing up in New Haven, Connecticut, spending much of his formative years at a diner. His father owned an auto shop where he'd build and repair motorcycles. Next door was Kitty's Diner. Miller would spend plenty of afternoons over at Kitty's ordering all sorts of meals like hot dogs, burgers, mac & cheese, and milkshakes. In the early 1970s, a 70-something-year-old Kitty still served customers, leaving a lasting impression on Miller.
"You can imagine the way she looked, the way she talked. The experience [at Kitty's Diner] was visually stimulating," he says. "The environment, the way that it looked, the horseshoe where you sit and eat, the people, the smells, all that stuff was important."

It all inspired his work for "Order Up!" so much so that Miller wanted to forgo traditional display methods for his pieces. Rather than use pedestals or hangings on the wall, he purchased eight antique diner booths. Plating his sculptures like real food, Miller pairs a larger-than-life, glass-blown burger alongside an equally large hot dog and fries.

It's all part of how Miller wants viewers to engage with the work.

Miller began working on his food series in 1999, shortly after graduating with his master's degree. Twenty-four years later, he still has the first piece he ever made for this series: a 14-inch, crinkle-cut french fry. Although that piece remains in his permanent collection, he assures New Times that plenty of fries will be on display, particularly a three-foot box featuring 30 crinkle-cut fries weighing 160 pounds.
While the works are reminiscent of a time in his life, Miller knows they resonate with a larger audience for one simple reason: "Everybody eats," he says with a chuckle. "The thing about eating is that culturally, people eat together. The work is also extremely decadent, and decadence never goes away."

Coupling the fact that food brings people together and the nostalgia of the hot-rod era from the early 1960s, Miller's "Order Up!" is an uplifting nod to simpler times. It's a feast for the eyes — and fun to experience.

"I want people to be happy, and I want them to be impacted by the show," Miller adds. "I also hope that some kids see the exhibition and then they can realize that this is a career. I turned this into a career as a kind of classical glassblower with a mechanical background.

"I turned it into a career as an artist."

"Order Up!" On view from Friday, October 27, through January 14, 2024, at Lowe Art Museum, 1301 Stanford Dr., Coral Gables; 305-284-3535; lowe.miami.edu. Admission is free. Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.