MARK ZIMMERMANN: Much That Undoubtedly Came to Pass…

George Billis Gallery is pleased to present ‘Much That Undoubtedly Came to Pass…,’ the gallery’s first solo exhibition of abstract paintings by Mark Zimmermann.  This new body of work continues Zimmermann’s exploration of form and color and is on view through July 31st.

Working out of studios on both coasts, Zimmermann’s paintings are the intersection of his experience of California light and New York geometries.  The paintings walk a fine line between order and chaos - they are grounded by the geometric while being simultaneously free and exuberant in their line and color.   

The compositions are balanced yet loose and full of movement - Zimmermann’s deep appreciation for paint in all its glory and his meticulous technical skill come together in these canvases.  The horizontal linear elements break and drip, creating a tension between the hard-edged shapes and the flow of the lines. The colors are inspired by the things he loves in life - they are far from random - and in each composition different subtleties in these colors are coaxed out.

Zimmermann’s time consuming process starts with building a ground using a palette knife.  The formal compositional elements are then laid onto the ground. The final stage involves layering, sanding, repainting, and repeating until the composition is complete. The process aspect of the paintings makes evident the passage of time - both in the actual creation of the painting and in the metaphorical sense of marking time.

Mark Zimmermann, an American artist and writer, was born to a military family in Munich, Germany, in 1967 and grew up in Hawaii and the southern United States. Since 1998, he has exhibited his paintings in 23 solo shows and numerous group exhibitions throughout the United States, Europe & Australia.  In 2000, Zimmermann became the first American artist to exhibit in a commercial gallery in Sofia, Bulgaria. In 2009, he was commissioned to create of suite of monumental paintings for the VIP Lounge of the Palazzo Tower Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2010, he was photographed by Andres Serrano, in a project documenting New York artists. Most recently, Zimmermann has been the subject of 3 short films by Los Angeles filmmaker, Eric Minh Swenson and London based filmmaker, Lawrence Berry.  As a writer, he has widely published poetry and short fiction, as well as essays and critical works on painting, photography, sculpture, architecture, theatre, and film throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. His writing has been translated into six languages. He lives and works in New York City, Fishkill, NY, and Encino, CA.