Daylilies 1975

Peter Milton created this etching called 'Daylilies' at some point after his birth in 1930. The print shows us a deeply personal interior space, a domestic setting filled with artworks and personal effects. But this is no simple portrait of home. The image presents a complex layering of scenes and eras. Made in America, the etching visualizes the layering of time and memory in our experience of place. Note the framing of images within images, the superimposition of figures, and the soft blending of light and shadow. These techniques suggest the ways that the past is always with us, even as we move through the present. Milton seems to critique the institutions of art by asking what is worthy of memorialization, as the space blends a public scene with a private and intimate space. The work invites reflection on the contingency of meaning, and how it relies on both personal and historical contexts. To better understand such works, consider using resources such as artist biographies, historical archives, and cultural studies research.