Royal Richardson Miree

640 19th Terrace South

Birmingham, AL 35205

205-252-1923 / 205-368-7150

e-mail: r3miree@bellsouth.net

The son of a general contractor who was educated as a civil engineer and a mathematician with a love of nature and wildlife, I spent much of my time walking construction sites or the local zoo and never missing a National Geographic, Nova, or Wild Kingdom special. If a tool, brush, pencil or pen was missing in the house, it was most likely in my room working on one creation or another. It was never enough to see how things worked; I had to take them apart or build them to find out how they worked. While all these projects could be messy and sometimes loud, my parents, grandparents, and even my best friend's family always encouraged me to create. At fifteen I began an apprenticeship to kinetic sculpturer Edward Hendricks and found an entirely different side of art not bounded by the margins of a static canvas, but an art that utilizes every piece of itself to be realized.

Four years later I left Birmingham to study architecture, and Mr. Hendricks, to a new studio in New York. I immediately explored new media and subject matter. I began a sketch study of movement and shadow, fascinated with how minimal an object could be and yet translate a form so much greater than itself. These studies started integrating themselves into my water color and acrylic painting and then found a niche with my conte crayon and charcoal works. When I began anew to explore metalwork and sculpture, many years later, the idea of art utilizing every ounce of itself to obey form and function, to perform and to be alive, took on new life in stainless steel and aluminum with kinetic sculpture. I like to think that in a way I can build my own art "zoo" and the creatures within. I have a passion for observing and interacting with my own creations, but even more so, I find fulfillment in the handling, forming and movement of materials that end as a finished sculpture.

Over the past 15 years I have worked with movement and form through observing dance and nature's efficient engineering to bring the public closer to the basic beauty and strength I see in so much of the world. The inspiration is generated through watching the subtle movements and forms nature provides to us, almost like a language that can be read if we choose to. It is this simple and powerful grace that I try to translate to my works. There is a certain fascination with being able to create a form with basic fluid elements that may come fully to life with the intuition and imagination of the observer.

Designs for each kinetic sculpture start as a basic line drawing with attention to the visual flow of elements. As a design develops, the relationship between concept and materials becomes more important. Each element is to perform it's purpose with simplicity and efficiency. The intent is to create a fluid, figurative image using the minimal amount of material. While the materials are of themselves hard, the aim is to soften them and have them almost dance as they move and reflect. To this end, the smoothness and speed of the counter balance point plays a critical role in the visual affect the work will have in motion.

The design is transferred to actual size on a board with concentric circles designating rotation of the various elements. After this basic layout is complete, the raw metal stock is cut, measured, weighed and milled for the anchor components. A large assembly of ascending radius disc is the forming tool used to bend the curves and counter curves of the tail pieces.

All pieces are assembled and fixed into an axel and ball bearing housing mounted to the wall. At this stage distances and weights from the rotation point are analyzed and calculated. Various counter weights made earlier are used for testing the balance points of the assembly. This is a process of checking different sized pieces for their weight and position to achieve a smooth rotation and match to an exact position of horizontal balance when the assembly comes to it's resting position.

The entire rough assembly design is transferred back to the board with all weights, sizes and distances noted and is then disassembled for polishing or painting.

To achieve the mirror polish, each component is run through five sanding stages starting with a 180 grit sandpaper to remove tooling and milling marks and ending with a 600 fine grit surface. At this stage the aluminum components are complete. The stainless steel components are ready for a three stage rotary buffing process to bring each piece to a final mirror finish. After each component is cleaned and waxed, the entire work is re-assembled and mounted back to the wall so that the final balance and adjustments can be made.




2008 Show Schedule

May 17 & 18- Atlanta Downtown Festival - (http://www.atlantadna.org/festival/index.html)
May 24 & 25- Decatur Arts Alliance- Atlanta - (http://www.decaturartsalliance.org/artsfest.html)
April 4, 5 & 6- Atlanta Dogwood Festival - (http://www.dogwood.org/index.php)
April 19 & 20- 4 Bridges Art Festival-Chattanooga - (http://www.4bridgesartsfestival.org)
April 25 - 28- Artropolis Artist Project- Chicago Merchandise Mart - (http://www.theartistproject.com)
June 7 & 8- 57th Street Art Fair- Chicago - (http://www.57thstreetartfair.org)
June 12 & 13- Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art Fair - (http://www.cacv.org/events/boardwalk.asp)
July 12 & 13- Licolnshire Art Festival-Chicago - (http://www.amdurproductions.com/lincolnshire.html)
August 2 & 3-Art At The Glenn-Chicago - (http://www.amdurproductions.com/the-glen.html)
August 8, 9 & 10- Gold Coast Art Fair- Chicago - (http://www.amdurproductions.com/gold-coast.html)
August 23 & 24- Port Clinton Art Festival- Chicago - (http://www.amdurproductions.com/port-clinton.html)
August 28 & 29- Longs Park Art Festival- Lancaster, PA - (http://www.longspark.org/art.html)
September 5 & 6- Birmingham Artwalk- Birmingham - (http://www.birminghamartwalk.org/)
September 12, 13 &14- Atlanta Arts Festival- Atlanta - (http://www.atlantaartsfestival.com)


Awards & Recognition

Best in Show (3 Dimensional) - Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce - 2008 International Award for New Movement-International ARTV Awards - 2007
Top Honors Sculpture Award -Toledo Gardens Art Show - 2007
Top Honors Sculpture Award- Contemporary Arts Center of Virginia - 2007
Honors Sculpture Award- Lincolnshire Chicago- 2007
Sculptor for 2006 IIDA International Interior Design Association Awards Birmingham
Best in Sculpture- Virginia Boardwalk Festival of Arts - 2007
Sculpture Award- Toledo Botanical Gardens Crosby Festival - 2007
Best in Show- Tannery Row Festival of the Arts - 2004
Best in Show (3 dimensional)- Dragon-Con Artist Market - 2004
Best in Show (3 dimensional)- Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce Festival of the Arts
Featured artist for Art & Wine Magazine - cover issue 2003
Featured artist for Yoga Magazine - cover issue 2004
Featured artist for Southern Living Magazine- January 2004
Featured in Black & White Magazine --- 2000,2001,2003,2006
Featured in Birmingham Weekly --- 2000,2001, 2003
Featured in Birmingham News --- 2000,2003,2005,2006


Web Links for Royal

www.touralabama.org/things-to-do/yoa/artists/details.cfm?ID=149
www.cacv.org/events/boardwalk.asp
www.birminghamartwalk.org/pages/gallery/royal-miree162.php
www.southernliving.com/southern/homes/resources/article/0,28012,560826,00.html
www.amdurproductions.com/gold-coast.html
www.mmart.com/artropolis/pdf/brochure/ARTropolis/Artropolis_artist_prd.pdf
www.artvawards.com/recipientsaward.htm
www.jenniferharwellart.com/ArtClasses.html
www.4artinc.com


Public Displays

Arceneaux Gallery	water color works--1996-1997
Clary Sage Gallery	water color & graphite works--1995-1996
Crown Jewelers	ostrich egg jewelry--1994-1995
Planet Musica	wood & metal Sculpture--1993
Magic City Art Connection	water color & sculpture works--1999 to 2006
Wanda Junes	water color & charcoal works--1998-2002
Mauby's	water color & charcoal works--1998-2000
Gay Pride Festival	water color & charcoal works--2000
Bradshaw House Gallery	charcoal & conte' works--1999- 2002
Anthony's	water color & charcoal works--1999-2005
Show House	conte' & steel--2000 to 2006
Highland Bank	charcoal works on paper-2000-2001
Botega	charcoal works on paper -2001
Kentuck Festival	water color & sculpture works--1996
Bare Hands Gallery	water color & conte' crayon works--2001
Naked Art Gallery	water color & conte' crayon works--2000 to 2002
Gallery 2306	enamel & copper-- 2005 to 2006
Gallery Services	kinetic sculptures 2006
Bit of the World Gallery	water color , steel & copper 2002 to 2006
Kinetics	kinetic sculpture-- 2004 to 2006
Park Lane	Conte' & charcoal 2003 to 2006
Cio	Water color & conte' 2004 to 2006
Daniel George	Conte' & charcoal 2004 to 2006
Restaurant Twenty Six	kinetic sculpture-- 2006
Yellow Daisy Art Festival	sculpture-- 2001 to 2005
Magic City Art Connection	sculpture --2000 to 2006
Dragon Con	sculpture-- 2001 to 2005
Dalton Festival of Arts	sculpture-- 2002 to 2006
Kentuck festival of Arts	water color & sculpture works--2001
Helen Keller Festival of Arts	kinetic sculpture-- 2005
Los Olos Festival of Arts	kinetic sculpture -- 2003 to 2004
Annual Boca Fest	kinetic sculpture -- 2004 to 2005
Delray Festival of Arts	kinetic sculpture -- 2004 to 2005
Naples Festival of Arts	kinetic sculpture -- 2004
Covington Festival of Arts	kinetic sculpture -- 2003 to 2005
Atlanta Dogwood Festival	kinetic sculpture -- 2005 to 2006
Tannery Row Festival of Arts	water color & conte' works -- 2003
A Love Affair Arts Festival	kinetic sculpture -- 2005
Canton Festival of Arts	kinetic sculpture -- 2005
Barefoot in the Park Festival of Arts	kinetic sculpture -- 2005
Virginia Beach Neptune Festival of Arts	kinetic sculpture -- 2005
Eastern Shore Festival of Arts	kinetic sculpture -- 2006
57th Street/Hyde Park Festival of Arts	kinetic sculpture -- 2006
Blue Hole Festival	kinetic sculpture -- 2006
Art Walk	kinetic sculpture -- 2006
Covington Three Rivers Festival	kinetic sculpture -- 2004 & 2002
Deland Fall Festival of the Arts	kinetic sculpture -- 2006
Gainesville Downtown Festival of the Arts	kinetic sculpture -- 2006
Naples National Festival of the Arts	kinetic sculpture -- 2006
Bluff Park Art Show	kinetic sculpture -- 2006
Atlanta Artist Market	kinetic sculpture -- 2006