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Georgia Farmer's Junk Art Becomes Museum Gold
14 Oct
Summary
- Reuben Aaron Miller transformed scrap into art after retiring from farming and preaching.
- His roadside creations gained national fame, leading to museum recognition and high-value sales.
- R.E.M. collaboration and TV Guide cover boosted Miller's art to international attention.
Reuben Aaron Miller, a farmer and preacher from Georgia, found a new passion in art after retiring at 65 due to severe glaucoma. He began crafting whirligigs, animal figures, and tin signs from scrap metal and wood at his home near Gainesville. What started as a hobby on his rural property, filled with hundreds of his creations, evolved into a local landmark.
Miller's early life was marked by hardship, having lost his father and left school at 12 to work. He later became an ordained minister while farming. After retiring in the late 1970s, he revived his childhood hobby of making whirligigs, using scrap materials and simple tools to create his art.
His creations often featured religious messages and figures inspired by everyday life, nature documentaries, and cultural icons. Initially, some locals questioned his art's value, but their perception changed as he began selling pieces for $5 to $50. His famous phrase "Lord Love You" became synonymous with his work.
Miller's art gained national attention in the mid-1980s, partly due to a collaboration with the band R.E.M., whose short film and music video featured his sculptures. This exposure, along with his work appearing on the cover of TV Guide, brought dealers and tourists to his property, increasing his art's value significantly.
After Miller's passing in March 2006 at 93, museums and institutions like Brenau University and the Georgia Museum of Art held tribute exhibitions. His art is now part of permanent public collections, recognized as part of the nation's folk-art heritage.
