{"id":121924,"date":"2023-08-29T05:26:11","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T09:26:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=121924"},"modified":"2023-08-31T11:47:23","modified_gmt":"2023-08-31T15:47:23","slug":"after-35-years-in-ad-agencies-allentown-artist-explores-surrealism-in-his-inaugural-fine-art-exhibit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=121924","title":{"rendered":"After 35+ years in ad agencies, Allentown artist explores surrealism in his inaugural fine art exhibit"},"content":{"rendered":"

You may not have known it, but you\u2019ve seen the art of Denis Aumiller on display across the Lehigh Valley and beyond for decades as logos, billboards, ads, printed pieces and more for companies like C.F. Martin, Olympus Camera and many others.<\/p>\n

Now after 20 years as a creative director at acclaimed agency Lehigh Mining (and 35+ years in the agency business), Aumiller is exploring his fine art roots with an exhibit of original works at ARTHAUS in downtown Allentown, September 7 – October 14, 2023<\/p>\n

Aumiller has created a group of playful, surreal images he calls Somnia Terra<\/em>, Latin for \u201cLand of Dreams.\u201d The 16 quirky, imaginative images evoke mystery that gets deeper the more one ponders them.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you looking at the echo of a long ago past or a future still in the act of creation?\u201d Aumiller said reflectively. \u201cThe creation of this work is a natural extension of the conceptual process I\u2019ve used in the ad agency business. It\u2019s about finding ideas and images that engage the imagination of the viewer. But with Somnia Terra<\/em> I\u2019ve been able to unleash my mind and create images that evoke a range of thought and emotion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aumiller\u2019s artistic influences include the dream-like, photomontages of Jerry Uelsmann and the surrealist paintings of Ren\u00e9 Magritte. The sublime sense of light and transcendence found in his work is inspired by the 19th<\/sup> century painting style, American Luminism. In a true reflection of his duality in the art world, he holds a B.A. in Fine Art Photography from Pennsylvania State University and an M.A. in Advertising Design from Syracuse University.<\/p>\n

The public is invited to an Artist Reception on Thursday, September 21 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.<\/p>\n