Mary Obering (1937 – July 29, 2022) was an American painter focusing mainly on
geometric abstraction.
Early life and education
Obering was born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1937.[1] When Obering was a teenager, she visited Italy for the first time – the formative trip introduced her to art and
Renaissance painting, an experience that Obering said "was always in the back of [her] mind."[2]
Obering began in sculpture, but soon moved into painting. Her first paintings were
Color Field paintings, inspired by
Mark Rothko. Obering continued to work in abstraction, while incorporating techniques, such as gilded wood panels, that are reminiscent of early Italian art.[6] Critics have also described her work as looking like "an exotic form of sculpture."[7]
Exhibitions
In September 2018, Obering had a solo exhibition in
Los Angeles at
Kayne Griffin Corcoran where she exhibited
acrylic on canvas paintings from the 1970s.[8] Obering is represented by both Kayne Griffin Corcoran in Los Angeles and
Bortolami in New York.[9]