Erik J. Sommer

Today I came across Erik J. Sommer, a painter who uses various traditional media in an unorthodox manner. Combining materials such as acrylics, oils, cement, plasters, and the like, he creates pieces that look as though they are a result of time and the forces of nature. Sommer has control over the choice and placement of the media he uses, but does not control the reactions they have to one another. 

I believe Sommer's work is an excellent example of the amount of control an artist has over the media that he or she is working with. When one is creating something, they choose the materials and the ways in which they want to manipulate it. Despite this, there are still a number of other forces that can have an affect on the work. This includes the surrounding environment (such as lighting) and, in Sommer's case, the media itself. 

His process of creating resonates with me greatly, especially since I have been recently working with control/loss of control, and the ways to portray it artistically. While the media and the path I am choosing is quite different from Sommer's work, I believe I can learn a lot from viewing it. The physical action of creating something can sometimes be eerily relevant to the subject manner at hand.

Erik Sommer's paintings mimic chipping and cracking urban environments (as well as peeling bark), which I personally think are portrayed in a beautiful manner. I love the idea of combining materials in an unorthodox manner, and feel as though the result provides something which manages to depict something which goes far beyond the physical attributes seen by the viewer. 

All in all, I greatly enjoyed this work!

All images are courtesy of  Erik J. Sommer.