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Armin Mersmann was born in Remscheid, Germany in 1955. In1962, along with his parents he immigrated to the United States. Mersmann grew up in an artistic environment and was greatly influenced and tutored by his father, Fritz, a successful oil painter. Mersmann feels his career as an artist was inevitable; “I never made the conscious choice to be an artist, it’s just what I did.”

After four years of college, Mersmann began a very successful stint as a portrait artist in Chicago, IL. Although financially rewarding, he stopped doing commission work and soon found more interest in the fine arts, work that at times is controversial, but more satisfying conceptually. “Art, my sanctuary, the very thing that gave me such pleasure was now reduced to making a living. Art is too precious for me to make decisions based on finances.” This does not mean Mersmann will never do a commissioned portrait but it has to interest him conceptually, and he insists on total control over the image.

Although Mersmann is mainly known for his intense naturalistic graphite drawings, he also works in oils, which often have an element of wood construction. “My interests have become exceedingly experimental with more attention placed on the surfaces of the work itself. Discovering and rediscovering my chosen medium is the everlasting stimulus that keeps me interested and excited. Accidental process and meticulous planning co-mingle in all my work. Texture, either real or illusionary, and that one ever-elusive brush stroke, the one that says it all; this keeps me searching and exploring.”

Official Website : Armin Mersmann
Deviantart : `nimra

Please click on the pictures for enlarged view.