Lately, I have been experiencing what I have come to recognize as a creative drought. The vast wonderland that is the right side of my brain has become quite desolate and dry because there has been no rain of ideas or inspiration. That all changed this past Saturday night when I took an ever-so-familiar walk up the street to OHWOW gallery after work to see EMERGIO, a show by legendary artist George Herms.
Herms started making sculptures and collages in the 40s around the beginning of the California assemblage movement. Since then, he has continued to work with found objects to create intricate, ornate pieces that are visually wondrous. EMERGIO features magazine-clipped collages that are blown up onto ten large wood panels as well as several sculptures by Herms that span from 1980 to the present day. Herms challenges the eye to see different forms and figures while using the same 10-15 images on every panel, creating a mind-boggling sense of consistency. Seeing Herms push himself to make such diverse works using such limited material was nothing short of an inspiration to me, and being able to meet him and tell him just how incredible I thought the pieces were was the perfect way to celebrate the creative rain that started to pour down in my mind as I left the gallery.
EMERGIO will run through October 26 at OHWOW.
OHWOW
937 La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
MAP
![]()
![]()
![]()
Herms' collages were created using magazine clippings
![]()
![]()
The collage that made OCLA's Mark say, "Oh."
![]()
A close-up of the collage
![]()
The artist George Herms
![]()
![]()
A close-up of the sculpture
![]()
Cheers to a great show!
Herms started making sculptures and collages in the 40s around the beginning of the California assemblage movement. Since then, he has continued to work with found objects to create intricate, ornate pieces that are visually wondrous. EMERGIO features magazine-clipped collages that are blown up onto ten large wood panels as well as several sculptures by Herms that span from 1980 to the present day. Herms challenges the eye to see different forms and figures while using the same 10-15 images on every panel, creating a mind-boggling sense of consistency. Seeing Herms push himself to make such diverse works using such limited material was nothing short of an inspiration to me, and being able to meet him and tell him just how incredible I thought the pieces were was the perfect way to celebrate the creative rain that started to pour down in my mind as I left the gallery.
EMERGIO will run through October 26 at OHWOW.
OHWOW
937 La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
MAP
Herms' collages were created using magazine clippings
The collage that made OCLA's Mark say, "Oh."
A close-up of the collage
The artist George Herms
A close-up of the sculpture
Cheers to a great show!