John Miller, "Here in the Real World"

Best known for his sculptural aggregates of found objects covered in shit-colored goo, Miller has created an eclectic body of work in a variety of media during his 30-year career. But they all share a jaundiced view of both conceptual aesthetics and pop culture mixed with sincere interest in the quotidian. This two-space show at Mary Boone Gallery and Metro Pictures includes paintings of game-show sets, relief portraits of TV personalities and additional works—a mural, a painted frieze—depicting ordinary pedestrians in everyday life. Taken together, Miller latest foray sounds a cautionary note about our grasp of the concrete growing ever more tenuous.