Dean Nimmer’s works are rooted in the creative process. Traditionally classified as “abstract” or “expressionist”, they are small in scale and vast in number.  What immediately strikes the viewer are the infinite combinations of surfaces, colors, rich textures, and varied imagery.  By installing the works en masse, in such large numbers, Nimmer offers each drawing less as a precious art object, and more as an artistic moment, a gesture, and a small piece in a larger whole.  In his case, the whole, the installation is a visual representation of the creative journey itself – most importantly a process and a way of working.

In addition to his work as an artist, Nimmer is the consummate teacher.  The interactions and relationships that form between the works and the audience are equally important.  It is the central idea of the “surprise”, whether it is in the creation of the works, the installation of them, or the interpretation of them by new eyes and new experiences, that is of critical importance to Nimmer’s practice. “Since I leave my works open to the viewer's interpretations, I am interested in their impressions as this enriches my own artistic experience,” states Nimmer, “the highest achievement I can attain however is to have my audience see something in my work that inspires them to create.”

Nimmer’s production as an artist and a teacher has extended into a natural connection to his audience, a book entitled Art From Intuition.  It is a revealing testament to his process.   The pages are filled with painting and drawing exercises that stretch and extend and ultimately open up the way we think about and experience artistic production.

Dean Nimmer is holding a workshop for parents in Foster Gallery on Sunday, October 5 from 1-4 pm.  Nimmer is well-known from his long tenure at Mass College of Art and his tremendously popular Art New England/Mass Art summer workshops at Bennington College.  No prior art-making experience is necessary.  The workshop is free, but enrollment is limited: first come, first served.  To sign up, email name and contact information to fostergallery@nobles.edu or call Foster Gallery @ 781.320.7227.  

To find out more about Dean Nimmer, check out his website: http://www.deannimmer.com.
For more on his recent book on the creative process, Art from Intuition, check out: http://artfromintuition.wordpress.com.

Notation 9, Mixed Media on Paper.

Notation 11, Mixed Media on Paper.

Plant, Mixed Media on Paper.