Erik Sommer (born February 25, 1978) is an American

contemporary artist Contemporary art is a term used to describe the art of today, generally referring to art produced from the 1970s onwards. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art i ...

and curator based in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Best known for his weathered paintings and cement installations, his work is often compared to abandoned buildings, eroding stone or forgotten structures. The layers of his paintings peel off the supports, while his cement installations recreate scenes that feel to have been recently abandoned.

Career

Sommer has been exhibiting in both solo and group shows since 2010. ''Pray To Fallen Skies,'' his first solo UK show, opened at

Rook & Raven Rook & Raven was a contemporary art gallery based in Fitzrovia, London. It was co-owned by Richard Grindy & Rachelle Lunnon. Opening in 2011, it closed in 2017. Artists Artists previously shown at Rook & Raven: * Noma Bar * Alexis Dahan * S ...

in London in November 2012. Consisting of large all-white canvases, the work was exhibited in separate viewing rooms; access to these rooms was limited so that viewers could privately immerse themselves with the work. ''And Riding Clouds'', which opened in

in April 2013, featured Sommer's first cement installation. ''Apt. 4B'' consisted of found objects collected throughout the city, which were then cemented and arranged to recreate the living room of a New York City apartment. The show was reviewed favorably by Robert C. Morgan in ''World Sculpture News''. ''Painting, Interior'', a cement installation of a room being painted, was shown in New York in October 2015. In July 2016 Sommer created and exhibited ''Die Chemische Reining'', a cement installation of a dry cleaner, in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. ''KALTBLUT Magazine'', one of Berlin's leading art and fashion magazines, reviewed the show along with an in-depth interview with Sommer. Sommer's cement installation of a car, ''Volvo 240'', was displayed in Red Hook during the summer of 2017 before being part of the ''Occupy Mana'' exhibition at

Mana Contemporary Mana Contemporary is a cultural center in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States with affiliated centers in Chicago and Miami. History and Founder Opened in May 2011, the center was founded by moving company mogul Moishe Mana. Shai Baitel ...

. In May 2018 Sommer first displayed his street poster and drywall paintings at a group show in

Bushwick Bushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by the neighborhood of Ridgewood, Queens, to the northeast; Williamsburg to the northwest; the cemeteries of Highland Park to the southe ...

. In September 2018 he presented his newest cement installation, a cemented recreation of a dentist office titled ''1 Hour Tooth Whitening'', at Deli Grocery in Brooklyn.''1 Hour Tooth Whitening'' DELI GROCERY 9/2018
/ref> In 2019 Sommer founded Mott Projects, a contemporary art project space.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sommer, Erik Living people 1978 births American contemporary artists Artists from Minnesota People from Duluth, Minnesota