NoSmoking

NoSmoking (2025)

Acrylic with glitter-infused gloss varnish on canvas, 12 × 9 in

NoSmoking depicts the ubiquitous prohibition sign now commonplace throughout the UK. Rendered in acrylic and sealed beneath a clear gloss varnish infused with fine ivory glitter, the surface sparkles subtly, only fully revealing itself as the viewer moves around the piece.

The glitter references Andy Warhol’s use of materials that demand physical presence to be appreciated. Here, it becomes symbolic—suggesting how public health messaging often simplifies addiction into signage and rules, glossing over the lived reality of struggle, relapse, and endurance. Two layers of varnish seal the work: one containing glitter, the second smoothing it into permanence.

For Miller, this piece reflects the cultural shift from normalization to shame. Smoking, once as socially accepted as drinking a soda, has become stigmatized within a remarkably short time. The glitter acts as a critique—an aesthetic cover placed over a deeply human battle that cannot be resolved through symbols alone.