The Velvet Hammer

Collection of vintage advertisements relating to
how advertising can manipulate women’s perceptions of worth

The monOrchid presents The Velvet Hammer by local artist Judith Ann Miller through Feb. 7. The show focuses on the ambiguities and assumptions in life, questioning how we conform and twist ourselves to others’ expectations, or choose to defy them.

Working with vintage advertisements and stock photos, references to events in the 1950s and 1960s, and a whirlwind of current social media commentary, Miller hopes to call into question an idealized time period.

By challenging “vintage ideology” and examining how we synthesis our modern environments, she hopes the contrast of our past and present leads us all to a deeper understanding of ourselves and others.

Storytelling continues to be a central theme in Miller’s work. Whether in mixed media or oil, her work continues to explore the connection our individual and collective pasts have to our everyday experiences in society.

The Phoenix native feels the deeper meanings of life can often be glossed over, leading her to question how we can contribute to and change our surroundings in a positive manner.

She was a founding member of the Holgas Artist Collective in Roosevelt Row, and has exhibited work in the metro Phoenix area since 2000.

The Velvet Hammer
Works by Judith Ann Miller

Through Feb. 7, 2020

monOrchid, 214 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix

For more information, visit monorchid.com.