Born in Woodland, CA, 1935
University of California, Berkeley, CA, 1955
Lives and Works in Los Angeles, CA
Deemed the Godfather of the spiritual unknown, GEORGE HERMS (b. 1935) emerged in the 1960s as a primary figure in the California assemblage movement. Rejecting precious or traditional art-making materials and rigid compositions, Herms instead recycles civilization’s refuse with a fresh eye and poet’s touch. The artist’s body of work brings the world’s flotsam and jetsam together in elegant opposition, an impulse that continues to drive artists today. Herms was recently honored with a solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and his work can be found in the permanent collections of the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; the Menil Collection, Houston; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and the Museum of Modern Art, NYC, among others.