Polished Love

"George Herms is a leading figure of the Los Angeles Assemblage Movement and the youngest of the ""Beat"" generation of artists who were part of the Ferus ""gang"" in the late 1950s, including John Altoon, Billy Al Bengston, Wallace Berman, Craig Kaufman, Ed Kienholz and Ken Price. George Herms' life has been one of constant exploration. His work is created with 'LOVE' - love for the discards of society, things that people carelessly ""trash"". George assembles beauty and form from this detritus.

He embarked upon a career as an artist after seeing Wallace Berman's work at the legendary Ferus Gallery. George assisted in the hanging of Berman's famous Semina show (in which Berman was arrested for displaying ""lewd"" works), and was moved by the way Berman was able to turn an art gallery into a temple. Berman became a mentor to Herms; George's first exhibition in 1957 was a ""secret exhibition"" attended only by Berman and Walter Hopps (co-founder, with Ed Kienholz, of the Ferus Gallery.

A combination of playful good humor, insightful wit and all-encompassing warmth infuses Herms' work. He aptly signs all his work with a 'LOVE' stamp and there is a great love that shines through - love for the people, the places, the things that have touched his life. For George, art-making is his way to show his love to the world."