OCMA | Orange County Museum of Art

George Herms was born in Woodland, California in 1935. Herms came to art in the late 1950s, but never had formal training in an art school. Herms scavenges objects from trash, waste bins, the roadside and the seashore and then turns them into sculpture, paintings, drawings, and poetry. George Herms thinks it is fun to experiment with junk. He thinks assemblage art is like painting in many ways. Herms says that 'instead of working with paint you have the same set of problems but volume is added. Instead of pigment and brush you have nails and glue, and instead of a palette you have objects.' Herms often puts words, such as the word 'LOVE' in his works of art. It is a personal reminder that his creations are gifts of love. Sometimes he gives his assemblages away as birthday presents to friends and family members. He has said that 'Art is hugs and kisses.' See if you can find the letters L-O-V-E stamped somewhere on the assemblage when you visit the museum! George Herms is alive and well, living and making art in Southern California. He shows his artwork all over California, the United States, and the world.