Maria Wimmer: Suburban Whimsy

“I want people to go there and find something they connect with. They can find a deeper meaning or can find it charming or whimsical. Either is fine with me. Hopefully they’ll do both.”

Suburban Whimsy is a collection of twenty vibrantly colored acrylic ink on canvas paintings which summon a playful vintage illustrative aesthetic. The work pairs seemingly disparate subjects like dinosaurs and human infants setting the stage for multiple narratives. Light-hearted on the surface, Wimmer’s subject matter evokes a darker undertone; which invites the viewer to consider deeper themes such as: isolation, a quest for perfection, and the loss of childhood dreams. The paintings may appear Surrealist in nature, but rather than looking for inspiration from dreams, Wimmer creates metaphors pulled from real life experiences including motherhood, death and the predictability of suburban life. By coupling these often heavy topics with playful imagery set against a stark white background, Wimmer challenges the viewer to discover their own personal metaphors. What does the work mean to you? Why was this made? What comes next?

Maria Rose Wimmer was born in Havre, Montana and has worked and lived throughout the West. She began formal art training at age thirteen. In 1999 she attended college at Eastern New Mexico University on the Lorraine Schula Scholarship for Art. Maria Rose Wimmer later received a BA from the University of Montana and her Master’s Degree in Art History from the University of Denver. She moved to Casper, Wyoming in 2009 and teaches at Casper College and Southern New Hampshire University. Her work has been displayed regionally and nationally, including several group shows and solo exhibitions. Maria Rose Wimmer’s work can be found in private collections throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website