{"id":2126642,"date":"2026-09-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2126642"},"modified":"2026-09-03T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T21:00:00","slug":"denizens-of-a-crowded-city-populate-erin-milezs-dense-paintings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2126642","title":{"rendered":"Denizens of a Crowded City Populate Erin Milez\u2019s Dense Paintings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1493\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-7.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a painting by Erin Milez of people tightly packed into spaces on the beach\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cPick Your Plot.\u201d All images courtesy of the artist and Monya Rowe Gallery, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Denizens of a Crowded City Populate Erin Milez\u2019s Dense Paintings<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-09-03T13:29:23-05:00\">September 3, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"colossal-share-buttons\">\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--facebook\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F09%2Ferin-milez-everything-the-light-touches-city-paintings%2F&amp;title=Denizens%20of%20a%20Crowded%20City%20Populate%20Erin%20Milez%26%238217%3Bs%20Dense%20Paintings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Share<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--pinterest\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F09%2Ferin-milez-everything-the-light-touches-city-paintings%2F&amp;media=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2026%2F09%2Fmilez-7-960x717.jpg&amp;description=Denizens%20of%20a%20Crowded%20City%20Populate%20Erin%20Milez%26%238217%3Bs%20Dense%20Paintings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-label=\"Share to Pinterest\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Pin<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--email\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email this article\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-hidden=\"true\">Email<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--copy\">\n\t\t\t<button type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Copy article link\" class=\"colossal-share-button__link colossal-share-button__copy\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/09\/erin-milez-everything-the-light-touches-city-paintings\/\" data-label-default=\"Copy\" data-label-copied=\"Copied!\" data-aria-default=\"Copy article link\" data-aria-copied=\"Link copied to clipboard\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"colossal-share-button__label\" aria-live=\"polite\">Copy<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"colossal-share-button colossal-share-button--bookmark\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"477409\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Whether it\u2019s scenes from the subway, streets, or Times Square, visions of New York City are often hectic and crowded. For <a href=\"https:\/\/erinmilez.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Erin Milez<\/a>, the hustle and bustle, but moreover the cramped spaces and tightness, characterize a new body of work going on view this month in <em>Everything the Light Touches <\/em>at <a href=\"https:\/\/monyarowegallery.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Monya Rowe Gallery<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Milez recently moved from New York to Seattle, and she began to examine the nature of human connection, or the lack thereof, in urban spaces. Her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/erin-milez\">expressive paintings<\/a> draw on the visual language and subject matter of artists like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dcmooregallery.com\/artists\/george-tooker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">George Tooker<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jacob_Lawrence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jacob Lawrence<\/a>, who approached the theme of urban life through distinctive, figurative compositions. There\u2019s also an unmistakable nod to the blocky, social realist style of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/wpa-federal-art-project\/\">Works Progress Administration<\/a> (WPA) murals, which were often installed in civic spaces like post offices and libraries. For Milez, a similar dynamism informs her detailed, textural paintings, underscored by a very 21st-century sense of detachment.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-11.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477409\" title=\"\u201cWalk Sign Is On\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cWalk Sign Is On\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cWalk Sign Is On\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1400\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-11.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by Erin Milez of faces partly covered in shadows, looking up\" class=\"wp-image-477419\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cWalk Sign Is On\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There is a sense of closeness and intensity in Milez\u2019s compositions that\u2019s simultaneously meditative, as the artist renders light in golden hues and hints at symmetry. Characters are often squeezed into confined spaces or obscured by foliage and infrastructure, wedged together and yet almost completely self-concerned. A pair stopped beneath blossoming branches in \u201cA Giving Tree,\u201d for instance, find themselves in a situation that would be intimate were it not for their inwardness or reticency to say hello.<\/p>\n<p>Other examples include a woman curled up on a crowded beach in \u201cPick Your Plot\u201d and numerous passengers in \u201cSubway\u201d who are all individually tuned into their own electronic devices. Despite the crowded scenario, no one speaks to one another, and everyone appears calm. \u201cI was surprised to find how many of the figures are cropped, particularly in their facial features,\u201d Milez says of her own work. \u201cThis was my subconscious designing these people who are experiencing some sensory limitations, not using their full self to be attentive to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Everything the Light Touches <\/em>runs from September 10 to October 24 in New York. See more on Milez\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/erinmilez\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-1.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477409\" title=\"\u201cA Giving Tree\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cA Giving Tree\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cA Giving Tree\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2478\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-1.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by Erin Milez of two people standing side by side next to a tree in the city\" class=\"wp-image-477410\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cA Giving Tree\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477409\" title=\"\u201cInside Flower\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cInside Flower\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cInside Flower\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2767\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-6.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by Erin Milez of a figure crouched behind a tulip in a glass\" class=\"wp-image-477420\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cInside Flower\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-9.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477409\" title=\"\u201cSubway\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cSubway\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cSubway\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"3038\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-9.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by Erin Milez of a crowded subway\" class=\"wp-image-477417\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cSubway\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477409\" title=\"\u201cGolden Hour\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cGolden Hour\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cGolden Hour\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-3.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by Erin Milez of traffic during the golden hour\" class=\"wp-image-477412\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cGolden Hour\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-10.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477409\" title=\"\u201cUp Side, Down\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cUp Side, Down\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cUp Side, Down\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2947\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-10.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by Erin Milez of people on escalators\" class=\"wp-image-477418\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cUp Side, Down\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477409\" title=\"\u201cHe Shoots\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cHe Shoots\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cHe Shoots\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2662\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-5.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by Erin Milez of a basketball hitting the net, with a pigeon perched on the rim\" class=\"wp-image-477414\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cHe Shoots\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477409\" title=\"\u201cCamo\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cCamo\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cCamo\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2524\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-2.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by Erin Milez of a face obscured by plants in the foreground\" class=\"wp-image-477411\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cCamo\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-8.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477409\" title=\"\u201cStationary\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cStationary\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cStationary\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2469\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-8.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by Erin Milez of a woman on a stationary bike\" class=\"wp-image-477416\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cStationary\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-477409\" title=\"\u201cHark! The Rain\u201d\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cHark! The Rain\u201d\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cHark! The Rain\u201d\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1478\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/milez-4.jpg\" alt=\"a painting by Erin Milez of light from a street lamp illuminating people in the rain\" class=\"wp-image-477413\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cHark! The Rain\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-benefits is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hide advertising<\/li>\n<li>Save your favorite articles<\/li>\n<li>Get 15% off in the <a href=\"https:\/\/colossal.shop\/\">Colossal Shop<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Receive members-only newsletter<\/li>\n<li>Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-options is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Join us today!<\/h3>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113464\">$7\/month<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-verdigris-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/colossal.memberful.com\/checkout?plan=113463\">$75\/year<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-crow-color has-chalk-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\">Explore membership options<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"20\" height=\"21\" class=\"wp-image-327872\" style=\"width: 20px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/arrow-left.svg\" alt><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/aside>\n<nav class=\"navigation post-navigation\" role=\"navigation\">\n<div class=\"nav-links\">\n<div class=\"nav-previous\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/09\/ed-sayers-super-nature-collaborative-film\/\" rel=\"prev\">Next article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cPick Your Plot.\u201d All images courtesy of the artist and Monya Rowe Gallery, shared with permission Denizens of a Crowded City Populate Erin Milez\u2019s Dense Paintings September 3, 2026 Art Kate Mothes Share Pin Email Copy Bookmark Whether it\u2019s scenes from the subway, streets, or Times Square, visions of New York City are often hectic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-2126642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2126642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2126642"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2126642\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2126642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2126642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2126642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}