Miles sits in the Arts Project Australia studio by a window overlooking High Street Northcote. He is concentrating on a painting, which is on the desk in front of him. He chooses his brushes and colours carefully. Then with delicate control he applies paint to the image. His subjects are the things he is passionate about: sea creatures, especially sharks, trains and their tracks, Australian flora and fauna, lightning, plumbing and cityscapes.
His choice of media varies from paint or ink on paper, acrylics on canvas, ceramics and clay sculpture, scanned images and computer graphics.
Miles Howard-Wilks was born in Melbourne on 26 February 1979, it has been a long journey to reach the skills and standards that have seen this emerging artist in many private and corporate collections and exhibited in galleries around Australia.
Miles’ upbringing was different to that of most artists, or for most members of the community. He was diagnosed, at four years old, with autism spectrum disorder. This meant that he needed extra help in his education and still needs help in many everyday things others take for granted.
But Miles’ creativity has shone through and his work and dedication to his art have seen benefits and acclaim, not to mention sales.
Liz Wilks, Miles’ mother, says that she only realised that Miles was interested in art after he left school. ‘I can’t remember much of his early work,’ she said. ‘Although he had some excellent teachers, who encouraged him, I can only remember a very good likeness of Mr Strong during his kindergarten years.’
He held various jobs including working in a supermarket, nurseryman, gardening and odd jobs until he asked to go into the art room at Churinga in Greensborough when he was about 20. The artist in residence, Alison Peak, encouraged him and he has never looked back.
Soon he was urged to take a painting class at Northern Metropolitan College of TAFE, then a life drawing class to learn techniques and develop his style.
Freedom of expression
He loved the freedom of expression that painting gave him. He could indulge his imaginative fantasies, painting the world the way he’d like it to be.
Miles has a lifelong love of railways and is eager to discuss the features of each style of carriage and his hopes for the future of public transport in Melbourne. He spends most of his spare time traveling to all parts of the Metropolitan Rail System and spends his holidays gaining reference material for future artworks by visiting railways all over the country.
His other great love, marine creatures, makes him a regular visitor to aquariums and seaside venues. His first solo exhibition (2004) was entitled Sharks and Everything.
How does he feel about his artwork?
Miles is a man of few words.
‘Art is me,’ he says. He finds it difficult to separate himself from his work. His art allows him to express himself, in contrast to his difficulty in verbalising his more complex thoughts.
Rarely without a pen and paper, or a digital camera, Miles is a constant scribbler. His images are naive and whimsical, displaying a quirky sense of humour not usually associated with his oral communication. He is especially known for his use of magpies that often populate his paintings as his tribute to the Collingwood Football Club, another of his passions.
When asked where he gets his sometimes-surreal images he says, ‘From my mind.’ He will then quickly refocus on his current work.
Q&A
Does he ever get tired of creating artwork? Never.
Does he know what he plans to do before he starts a painting? Yes, sometimes in intricate detail.
Does he ever consider any other career? No.
These days Miles has art in his life most of the time, dividing his interests between Arts Project Australia, Fire & Clay Ceramics and Churinga Pottery Works and Art Room.
One of his achievements has been his animation video, ‘Chocolate Land’, which incorporates more than six hundred hand-drawn images. This short film has been exhibited in King Street Gallery in Darlinghurst and entered in The St Kilda Short Film Festival.
Where will Miles’ artwork lead him? Wherever he wants to go.
Miles spends three days every week working in the studio at Arts Project Australia, which is a not-for-profit incorporated association.
Arts Project Australia offers ongoing studio-based sessions staffed by practising artists who provide support and assistance to the artists. It also runs an ongoing exhibition and leasing program through which Miles’ work is promoted locally, nationally and internationally across a wide variety of exhibiting contexts including public institutions and commercial galleries.
Miles benefits from the provision of a supportive environment, individual approaches and a professionally based exhibitions program.
Founded in 1974, by Myra Hilgendorf OAM, with the express purpose of exhibiting the artwork in a manner that accords artists with an intellectual disability the same dignity and respect as other artists, Arts Project’s mission is to support people with disabilities to become practitioners in the visual arts and to promote their work as integral to the broad spectrum of contemporary arts practice.
Collections
Arts Project Australia studio is where Miles has developed many of his artistic skills.
His work is often exhibited in the light and airy studio and gallery, as well as in mainstream art exhibitions and events that ensure his continuing presence in, and involvement with, the wider community.
Gallery
The ground floor gallery regularly stages a program of diverse exhibitions featuring work by Miles and other artists from the studio as well as from the broader arts community. Visitors are most welcome to visit and view the displays.
Arts Project Australia operates an artwork rental scheme that leases work to corporate, public and private agencies. A wide variety of works are available and arrangements can be tailored to suit individual needs.
Studio Program
Since 1984, Arts Project Australia has developed and maintained a unique studio-workshop program.
Here art is not ‘taught’. Instead, Miles has been encouraged to find his own artistic voice and to pursue themes of personal interest and meaning. His works retain identifiable characteristics that are consistent and clearly attributable to him and, over time, have become recognised as his signature.
The program has assisted Miles to become as independent as possible, and supports him to reach an engagement with, and enjoyment of, the artistic process. The arts-workers have developed close working relationships with Miles, over many years, helping to foster his individual vision, offering encouragement, advice and assistance where necessary. Intervention is kept to a minimum and there is a strong respect for his autonomy.
Miles’ work is carefully stored and evaluated before being either reserved for exhibition or archiving or returned to him.
The studio philosophy is to support the individual direction of each artist with a strong respect for personal process and decision-making.
Animation
Miles participated in the animation program since soon after it was initiated in 1996 until 2011. It was the first program of its type in Australia exploring the moving image. The process of animation is a slow one and requires creativity and ingenuity along the many steps from inception to completion.
Much of the program builds on Miles’ working knowledge of technology, of how films and special effects are created, and developing and adapting these skills to the realm of animation. Works can be created in a variety of genres and formats such as drama, comedy, music videos, horror and soundscapes. Unlike many other programs involving new technology, Miles maintains full control over his work and is completely responsible for the style and content of his productions. The results are an exciting amalgam of sound and visuals.
With the close of the animation program at the end of 2011 Miles is now exploring digital photography as another means of expression. Having always been an enthusiastic amateur photographer, the possibilities of this medium excite him.
The Supported Employment Program
Arts Project Australia’s advocacy of the rights of people with an intellectual disability to pursue careers as practising artists has received formal recognition from the federal government through the funding of a supported employment program.
Under this scheme, Miles has an established record of showing and selling his work and has been assisted to pursue a career as a visual artist.
Miles derives a small income from the sale of his work. Support is provided in areas such as promotion and marketing, which, due to the nature of his disability, he finds difficult to negotiate.
Miles’ work has been selected for inclusion in major art prizes and shows, has been featured in leading art magazines, exhibited in mainstream commercial galleries and has been purchased by private collectors and public institutions nationally. In recent years his work has been exhibited internationally with inclusion in group-exhibitions in Glasgow, London and Paris.
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| On exhibition in Paris |
A thriving studio in Lilydale
Nestled at the foot of the Dandenong Ranges at Lilydale is the ceramics workshop of Fire & Clay.
This thriving studio is a branch of Wesley Central Mission, providing employment for over twenty ceramic artists and other support staff, producing a variety of artistic pieces.
Miles has been encouraged to develop his own line of ceramic bowls and platters and has produced many beautiful pieces with a theme of Australian flora and fauna as well as marine creatures.
Miles makes his way to Lilydale twice a week.
‘His attention to detail is outstanding,’ says former Fire & Clay support worker Rosemary Shaw. All the staff have supported Miles and promoted his works.
‘He surprises us with his constant improvements and his eagerness to try new subject matter,’ Rosemary said.
Miles’ work at Fire and Clay shows his special interest in the Australian environment. He especially gains inspiration for native birds and plants he finds near his family home and during his travels about Melbourne.
‘His eye for detail is exceptional,’ says Rosemary. ‘He loves to put birds in amongst foliage. No two works are the same.’
Fire & Clay is in the Lilydale Industrial Estate on Beresford Road, Lilydale. Visitors are welcome.
Churinga provides Miles with the freedom to express his personal passions
With the encouragement and support of Alison Peak, Artist in Residence at Churinga Art Room, and the staff of Churinga Clayworks, Miles has been allowed to develop his unique style. There are no restraints in this art room. Miles is free to follow his own choice of subject matter without commercial considerations. Nevertheless, his work is highly sought after and often finds a market at Churinga’s regular exhibitions.
The first thing that you notice about Miles Howard-Wilks’ artwork is his detailed brushwork. Look further into each piece and you will see how he uses his imagination to make his work distinctive. He takes images and twists them, adding his own style to make them quirky and fun. Accompanying this is his concentrated use of line and detail to provide a well sketched out idea and accurate portrayal of subjects and composition. His work is collected for its uniqueness and its creative potential.
Miles creates his artwork in three studios: Churinga, Arts Project and Fire & Clay. At any time he may have artwork exhibited at a number of different galleries, throughout Melbourne and across Australia.
Group exhibitions
2011
STOCK EXHIBITION
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
PENOLA COONAWARRA ARTS FESTIVAL – UNFILTERED
Penola, South Australia
MANNINGHAM VICTORIAN CERAMIC ART AWARD
Manningham Gallery, Doncaster, Vic
ANNUAL GALA SHOW
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
OBSERVANCE
Moving Images, Flinders Street Station, Melbourne, Vic
WESLEY FIRE & CLAY ANNUAL EXHIBITION
Wesley Fire and Clay, Lilydale, Vic
Colour my world
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
2010
ANNUAL GALA SHOW
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
BELLA DINNER ART DRAW
Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW
Alice in Wonderland - WESLEY ANNUAL EXHIBITION
Wesley Fire and Clay, Lilydale, Vic
MYSCAPE
Project Ability Collins Gallery, Strathclyde University, Glasgow, Scotland
FULLY BOOKED Arts Project Gallery Northcote
IN THE SHED
The Artful Dodgers Studios, Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic
PACIFICA
Gallerie Impaire, Rue de Lancry, Paris, 75010 France
CONNECTED 10
Melbourne Central, La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Vic
Annual Fire & Clay EXHIBITION
Wyreena Community Arts Centre, Croydon, Vic
AUSTRALIANA
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
MELBOURNE ART FAIR
Royal Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne, Vic
2009
CONNECTED09
Arts Centre, Melbourne
NORTHERN EXPOSURE 09
Northcote Visual Arts Festival, Vic
Permanent Collection
Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney (from Ergos Collection)
ANNUAL GALA SHOW
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
ANNUAL EXHIBITION
Wesley Fire & Clay, Lilydale
2008
Annual Gala Show
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
Artful Nature
Bolin Bolin Gallery at Bulleen Art & Garden, Bulleen, Vic
MAKE YOUR MARK
Fairfield PS Community Art Exhibition, Fairfield. Vic
ENVISAGE Expressive Ceramics
Ceramics Victoria, Collingwood, Vic
WILD THINGS
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
ANIMAGINATION (animation)
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
LAND SEA SKY
Eltham Library Community Gallery, Eltham, Vic
MELBOURNE ART FAIR
Royal Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne, Vic
BEHIND THE SCENES (animation)
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
CONNECTED 08
Arts Centre, Melbourne
Without Borders
Outsider Art in an Antipodean Context - Monash University, Museum of Art
Pearls of Art
Ivan Doughtery Gallery, College of Fine Arts NSW
Reaching Out
The County Court of Victoria, Waldron Hall, Melbourne
FIRE & CLAY Display
Queen Victoria Gallery, Melbourne
Ceramics Victoria
Herron Island Summer Arts Festival, Melbourne (Churinga)
2007
STUDIO DAYS
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
CONNECTED07
The Atrium, Federation Square, Melbourne, Vic
OTHERWORLDS
Ergos Collection, King Street Gallery, Darlinghurst NSW
CREATIVE FUTURES
Rydges Hotel, Melbourne – as part of ASD Expo
A SENSE OF PLACE
Synergy Gallery, Northcote, Vic
PERSPECTIVES
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
PAT EMERY AWARD & MEMBERSHIP EXHIBITION
Paytner Gallery, Epsom, Vic
CHURINGA CLAYWORKS
St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne
CREATURE FEATURES
Bolin Bolin Gallery, Bulleen Art & Garden, Bulleen, Vic
2006
CHURINGA CLAYWORKS
St Vincents Hospital, Melbourne
CONNECTED06
The Atrium, Federation Square, Melbourne, Vic
IN EVERYONE’S COMPANY
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
2005 WRAPPED: SELECTED WORKS
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
LEO CUSSEN WITH SELECTED ARTISTS
Australian Galleries, Collingwood, Vic
CONNECTED05
The Atrium, Federation Square, Melbourne, Vic
HOME SWEET HOME
Works from the Peter Fay Collection
NGV Travelling Exhibition
- Tamworth City Gallery, NSW
- Dunedin Public Art Gallery, NZ
- Hazelhurst regional gallery & Art Centre, Gymea, NSW
- Flinders University Art Museum, Adelaide, SA
2004 CERAMIC SCULPTURE
The Artist’s Garden, Fitzroy, Vic
CONNECTED04
Australian Galleries, Collingwood, Vic
HOME SWEET HOME
Works from the Peter Fay Collection
CHRISTMAS SURVEY
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
2003 PERSONAL MYTHOLOGIES
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
2002 CHURINGA CLAYWORKS
The Artist’s Garden, Fitzroy, Vic
WINTER IN BANYULE
The Fire Station Bar, Ivanhoe, Vic
2001 CERAMIC SCULPTURE
The Artist’s Garden, Fitzroy, Vic
NEW ARTISTS
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
MAGIC MOVIE SCREENS
Arts Project Gallery Northcote (Animation Exhibition)
2000 QUETZALTOO
Northcote Pottery Gallery, Thornbury, Vic
CELEBRATING ABILITY - EMERGING ARTISTS
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
ANNUAL ART & CRAFT SHOW
Loyola College, Watsonia, Vic
CHRISTMAS SHOW
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
MIND QUAKES
Eltham Library Community Gallery, Vic
1999 QUETZALTOO
Northcote Pottery Gallery, Thornbury, Vic
IN HOUSE, WORKS ON PAPER
Eltham Library Community Gallery, Vic
1998 QUETZAL
Northcote Pottery Gallery, Thornbury, Vic
AUTISTIC EYE
VicHealth Access gallery, NGV, Southbank, Vic
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2004 SHARKS & EVERYTHING
Arts Project Gallery Northcote
PUBLICATIONS
2011 Moving Art for the City Commute
The Melbourne Age, July 21
2010 Arts Project goes to Paris
Arts eNews, 10 June
2009 Move fired up
Mountain Views Mail, July 28
2007 Art Creatures Great & Small,
Manningham Leader, March 7, P 39
1998 Delight for Art Duo,
Diamond Valley News, Dec. 2
COMMISSIONS & PROJECTS
2006 ‘This Movie has Everything’ Film
Screening, Yartz Arts Community Televiion Inc
2005 ‘This Movie has Everything’ Film
Screening, Mixed bag Shorts 2, 1st Annual Westgarth Film Festival, Northcote, Vic
2004 Lino Cut Exhibition for publication,
Afghan Refugee Children’s Alphabet Book
2004 ‘This Movie has Everything’ Film
Screening, Disability Film Festival, London, UK
AWARDS
2007 First prize ceramics (Open Section) Lilydale Show
2000 Silk Cut Acquisitive Award - Highly Commended
Glen Eira Arts Centre, Camberfield, Vic
COLLECTIONS
Miles work is held in the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra and many private collections including:
- Peter Fay Collection
- ‘Pearls of Art’ Stuart Purvis Collection
– Inaugural exhibition at Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewer’s Bequest.
This is so impressive! All of it! What a superb artist! just like his mother:)
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