Warren Rohrer: The Language of Mark Making

One of Philadelphia’s leading abstract painters of the late twentieth century, Warren Rohrer (1927–1995) was profoundly inspired by the rural landscape of nearby Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The language of his painting and drawing of the early 1990s is poetic in its ambiguity, an ambiguity filled with field and furrow, pictograph and palimpsest, rhythm, nature, and abstraction.

Warren Rohrer: The Language of Mark Making explores the mystery of Warren Rohrer’s late work, bringing together a unique selection from institutions and private collections throughout the country.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.

Whether you go or not, the exhibition catalog, Warren Rohrer, is the first to trace Rohrer’s trajectory over 40 years and describes the highly unorthodox arc of his life, from Mennonite stock in rural Pennsylvania to prominence as an exceptional abstract painter of the late 20th century.  his monograph, authored by philosopher and art critic David Carrier, gives a rich understanding of Rohrer’s quest to unite paint with atmosphere, land and light, and his enduring connection to Lancaster County, where he grew up. An essay by Elaine Mehalakes looks at the enigmatic late work of the artist, his Field Language series. The book includes 120 beautifully reproduced paintings, drawings and sketchbooks, and an illustrated chronology, representing the most comprehensive presentation of Rohrer’s life and work to date.