Allison Miller's painting practice is predicated on keeping her process visible. For the artist, painting is a magic trick that is performed and explained simultaneously— the successful painting retains its power despite revealing its secrets. The artist and the viewer meet each other halfway. Emblematic of this worldview is Miller's use of the trapezoid. The unconventional parameter is both a play on the physicality of a painting— the supposed "window," now tilted— and a means to draw attention to Miller's subsequent decisions.

The thing I came to admire about the shape is that it feels like you're starting with a rectangle that's in perspective and then you're physically pushing that perspective... Trapezoids have also historically been pedestals for sculptures. So, I like to think of these as the supporting player and the main protagonist, both. — Allison Miller