October 20 - January 22, 2022
From the Art Center Waco:
“Oliver is among the very few who have consistently pushed boundaries in an ongoing quest for self- discovery. It is impossible to account for the past half-century of Texas art without including him in the picture. All of his work is circuitous, making manifest a sense of place and direct experience, but also a sharpened sense of interior worlds, richly layered and nuanced. At the core of his landscapes and portraits is a spiritual quest that plumbs the depths of the human condition: birth, life, death and regeneration. In doing so, Oliver has pursued a legacy of endurance and understanding of the magical powers of storytelling to provide both solace and transcendence. His paintings and drawings are about the search for meaning in our lives – the stories we tell others and especially the stories we tell about ourselves. His work shimmers with radiating light that both unifies the surface and defines natural forms in carefully rendered acrylic brushstrokes on panel and the near- seismographic touch of graphite on paper. Rarely has ordinary existence seemed so multifaceted and enigmatic, even in its banal everyday details. Accordingly, the work delivers a sense of time’s passing. Oliver’s meticulous attention to the appearance of things and their capacity for mysterious drama yields lyric passages that evoke dreams, reflections and memories. Throughout, Oliver’s art conveys the ability to connect with viewers and show them that history belongs to, and is made by, everyone. For some six decades, he has shared his own story in a personal and vulnerable manner – not so people know more about him, but so they understand that they too have a story. All of Oliver’s works are visual cosmologies, referencing aspects of his early life growing up in the cattle ranching area of Refugio, Texas, as well as mythological, Biblical and art historical sources. “I have lived and worked in Waco for thirty-seven years,” Oliver writes. “By nature, and evident practice, I am reclusive and remain withdrawn from most events. However, Art Center Waco has over the years extended a courtesy of inviting me to participate in their exhibition presentations. I feel humbled and honored to be invited to participate in the inaugural presentation of this new center. I hope the small retrospective of my work may help to enhance the importance of this event for the city of Waco – hoping that it will encourage new viewers and old friends to recognize and appreciate the value of the Center’s forward journey to enlarge the community’s awareness and need for its continued participation.” Kermit Oliver: New Narratives, New Beginnings will galvanize the Waco community and create unprecedented excitement throughout Texas. The exhibition is guest curated by Susie Kalil, who is also writing the major book on Oliver’s life and art, to be published by Texas A&M University Press. About the inaugural exhibition, Jill F. Michaels, DDS, President, Board of Directors, writes: “Nearly 32 years ago, Kermit Oliver’s art was first exhibited at Art Center Waco. Executive Director, Joe Kagle, and a founding board member, Mickey Smith, recognized the exceptional talent of this local artist. As a young couple new to Waco, my husband and I visited the exhibit and purchased our first Kermit Oliver painting, “Lusus Naturae.” In 2007, Art Center Waco hosted a second exhibition. The Kermit Oliver exhibits were two of the most visited in the history of Art Center Waco. Over the years, Kermit has been most generous in donating works of art for auctions and signing his iconic Hermès scarves for lucky owners. it is with great anticipation that the Art Center Waco and its Board of Directors honor Kermit with a third exhibition of his work in our new home in downtown Waco.”
Reception: October 20, 2021 | 6–8 pm
701 South Eighth Street
Waco, 76706 Texas
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