November 2011

City Art Gallery in Columbia, SC, Features Works by Rod Wimer

City Art Gallery in Columbia, SC, will present the exhibit, New Abstracts, featuring mixed media works by Rod Wimer, on view from Nov. 17 through Dec. 23, 2011. A reception will be held on Nov. 17, from 5 - 9pm in conjunction with Columbia’s Vista Lights celebration.

Skilled at the melding of contemporary styles, Wimer blends sensitive tonality with vivid color to compose paintings that define visual aesthetics.

Wimer said, “My current abstract collaged works are all about my never ending experimentation with found objects and my love of texture and color in all its forms. These large format canvas collages are constructed of an undergirding of acrylic paint, oil pastel, and graphite. I then continue to build layers with both found and hand-made papers, fibers, and more layers of paint and pastel. I am heavily influenced by the clean lines of mid-century modern design, and yet, I also love the veiled chaos of abstraction in the organic nature that surrounds us.”

Collectors of the artist’s work often comment on his range and versatility. His subject matter includes abstracts, landscapes, and contemporary human figures.

“I love the process of creating textures with hand-made paper, leaves, fabric, sand, and found objects,” Wimer said. “I employ the use of color schemes, both strong and neutral, depending on the emotion I desire to convey in the final work. I often employ more neutralized color schemes in an effort to focus on composition. My watercolor abstracts are infused with colored pencil, graphite, and oil pastel. I enjoy experimenting with new ways to add texture to this medium. I use knives and razor blades to “scrape” the paper or canvas, which creates textures I can’t get from anything else. I often use them to create “stitches” in the work which, for me, symbolize the act of healing.”

Born in 1960 and adopted by missionary parents, Wimer’s first eighteen years were spent in Africa. During those years, his family made several trips to Europe, and time spent on both continents further developed his passion for color, form, and texture. In 1978 he moved to Charlotte, NC, to advance his art education, and in 1981 he moved to Hawaii and joined the Oahu Artists Guild in 1985. In 1988 he moved back to Charlotte and continued to work as a professional multi-media artist. His work is in private and corporate collections across the continental US, as well as Hawaii, Canada, France, The Netherlands, and Great Britain. Corporate clients and interior designers currently seek his abstract paintings.

City Art Gallery is located in the historic Congaree Vista area of Columbia.

For further information check our SC Commercial Gallery listings, contact Wendyth Wells, City Art Gallery director, at 803/252-3613 or visit (www.cityartonline.com).

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