The story and life of Darryl Miller – part four

Renee Sevenski
Contributing Writer

(Photo provided)

As we look back on Darryl Miller we can say that he started sharing his artistic abilities right here in our very own town of Charlotte Michigan when he was ten years of age.  He had amazing people take an interest and even reach out for him to study under world renowned people throughout his studies, not to mention Italy. We are taking this story back to 1970. Upon Darryl’s return to Pietrasanta he  had the opportunity to visit Marcello Tommasis Bronze Foundry. Here by chance was one of the founders of cubist sculpture, Jacques Lipchitz and he  was 79 at the time and near the end of his life. He had long white hair and a walrus mustache, wearing a black beret. He escaped the nazis in WW2 and landed in New Hastings upon Hudson.

He was creating a 40-foot-tall sculpture of Pegasus for Columbia University.

Once again Darryl being at the right place at the right time and by chance he had a conversation with him, Lipchitz asked Darryl who were his favorite artists and Darryl responded with Michelangelo’s, Donatello,  El Greco. Lipchitz replied, “I don’t like Michelangelo.”  Astonished Darryl asked why and Lipchitz replied, “I don’t like to be hit over the head.”  Darryl was puzzled then he quickly remembered, Lipchitz was a Jewish person fleeing the Nazis. Lipchitz followed up with the question, “How many languages do you know” and Darryl answered just one and Lipchitz said he should learn another implying that Darryl’s taste in art may be a little too narrow.

Darryl immediately responded with at 20 he was too old to be a student, Lipchitz put his arm around Darryl’s shoulder and said “I’ve been a student my whole life and still am at 79” A valuable lesson to Darryl from the lips of the now famous Jacques Lipchitz.

Darryl absorbed everything he could and sat with Lipchitz for several days as he applied wax to investment molds in preparation for the bronze casting. The Pegasus sculpture was so tall men had to use chair lifts to work on it.

Lipchitz best-known works, including the out sculptures The Song of the Vowels, Birth of the Muses. The Bellerophon Taming Pegasus that Darryl had the chance to sit with Lipchitz was completed after Lipchitz death and is well known.

Darryl also seemed to be in the right place at the right time with talented people. Well, this part of his life brings him back to the Great Lakes state in the early 80’s. While Darryl was attending College of Creative Studies in Detroit, he befriended Ed Collins. After Darryl had become a graduate student from Eastern University, Ed Collins had heard of an exhibition of Darryl’s work and viewed it and reached out and set up a two-year residency. While Darryl went to college with Ed, he had no idea that Ed Collins is the Oscar Mayers grandson and the heir to the fortune which his residency was sponsored by. This is where Darryl created many artworks. Darryl’s studio was in Suttons Bay Michigan, and he went on to create many artworks including a life-size reclining female figure, “Karen” She was done in bronze and is installed in the heir’s patio in Leland Michigan. Darryl also taught Ed Collins how to sculpt a portrait.

In June of 1997 it was reported in Lake Leelanau Michigan that the sheriffs were investigating the disappearance of a 300-pound bronze statue from a man’s home. When it was last seen, the statue of a woman reclining on Ed Collins bench with one hand on her torso and the other dangling off the edge and valued at $10,000. Collins had offered a $500 reward for its return. Three weeks later a couple of fishermen had come up for some trout fishing on the Little Betsie River where they made their biggest catch ever. They had found a half-submerged statue. The fishermen worked hard to pull the 300 pound catch out of the river. Once they accomplished this, they named her “Little Betsie” and took it home with them downstate. When they arrived home, they did call the Benzie County Sheriff’s Department and were told about the statue being stolen from Leland.

As we come to an end of our story about Darryl Miller, it does not have to end here. Darryl has a few of his pieces at our very own Charlotte Square Museum as well and has created a thirty-three-page book of his work that may be purchased for $32.00 + $5 Shipping. You can contact Darryl at 517-281-0468. Darryl also has a dream that he would like to have his sculpture at the Courthouse be cast in bronze. This story started with a sculpture of Darryl’s being accepted into the Elle Sharp Museum. Darryl has a few other pieces that he would love to find permanent homes for.

I would like to end this with a quote from Darryl.
“I believe in the universal brother and sisterhood of all mankind and try to express that in my art. I try to penetrate the souls of my figures and portraits as art is the physical manifestation of spiritual realities”.