Nicole Miller
I'm Afraid, 2020

Born in 1982 in Tucson, Arizona, Nicole Miller is an artist and filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California. Her artistic practice employs film and multimedia installations to explore the role of moving images in redefining self-perception and cultural identity today, critically examining the dynamics between established notions and actual experiences of African American identity. Miller’s work frequently touches on issues of race, interpretation, and the complexities of representation.

Miller’s recent projects have involved collaborations with young individuals, particularly youth of color, reflecting a deep engagement with the ways in which societal norms and racial discrimination shape the lives and perceptions of young people in. In To the Stars (2019), Miller introduced a fusion of film and laser-light techniques in partnership with laserist Zak Forrest, marking a distinctive evolution in her artistic approach. I’m afraid (2020), which was commissioned by the Tucson Museum of Contemporary Art, is a laser light installation inspired by the poignant reflections on race, fear, and imagination in Claudia Rankine’s poetry. The installation features the lines “I’m afraid of the limits of your imagination, I’m afraid of the boundaries of your language,” which materialize, shift, expand, and contract while being fragmented and reassembled. The installation creates an immersive experience of synesthesia by linking visual and auditory stimuli, using laser light that morphs through various handwritings, colors, and sounds. The movement, color, and form of the laser are controlled and programed by sound waves—the installation animates the laser by running an analog sound through a synthesizer, which in turn moves the mirrors inside the laser, rapidly changing the hue, size, and intensity of the beam of light. Despite the constant changes, the human mind perceives it as a cohesive whole. The piece prominently features phrases that evolve and reshape within the space, embodying the fluidity and complexity of language and perception. Through the innovative use of sound-activated laser technology, Miller crafts a dynamic visual narrative that challenges viewers to confront the constraints of their imagination and the confines of language.