Edward A. Obermeyer
Post Aboriginal Modernist Painter
Artists Statement/Biography
www.edobermeyer.com
Prior to pursing my passion of painting full time, I shared my gift with thousands of local children, as an art teacher with the Virginia Beach Public schools. I retired with 34 years of dedicated service, and was recognized three times as teacher of the year. I am now able to focus all of my attention on my artwork, which is expressed through my unique style that is influenced by a love of the ocean, immersive journeys which explore the uniqueness of different cultures, and the pattern paintings of many famous artists.
The transformation from realism to Post Aboriginal Modernism came after spending nearly a month in Australia visiting a variety of Aboriginal tribes to study their art making methods and types of visual language. Through the study of Aboriginal culture I have left my comfort zone with realistic painting and am now painting in a more stylized manner. I use dot patterns, cross hatched lines, and my pin striping skills to create my own visual language with a variety of specialized brushes and tools. The paintings are a reflection of my journeys to places like the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the Grenadines Islands, Barbados, Panama, and Australia, but the techniques combine identifiable images with patterns inspired by other cultures. I am also influenced by the pattern paintings of Alfredo Arreguin, Hokusai, M.C. Escher, and Vincent Van Gogh. I have reinvented myself as an artist by incorporating these cultural art styles and translating them into complex and unique pattern painting.
I prefer to do paintings in a series of studies based on personal experiences. My most recent series of paintings are about the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the beaches of Playa Venao and Santa Catalina, Panama, and the Norfolk Botanical Gardens in Norfolk, VA. I take my own photos for a visual reference to create my paintings, but also collaborate with professional photographers to develop my work. I feel strongly that through collaboration, artists can develop artistic growth and development of their work on a much higher level.