George Widener
The artist George Widener (b.1962) from Cincinnati, Ohio has thousands of historical dates in his memory and more than a thousand census population statistics. A self-taught artist and calendar savant, Widener creates mixed-media works on paper that give aesthetic, visible form to complex calculations based on dates and historical events—the sinking of the Titanic being one of his favourites. The artist often uses found paper, or a support composed of layers of tea-stained paper napkins. His drawings feature simple palettes, sophisticated patterning, and bold compositions of dates and imagery that transcend centuries of time and the history of art.
Widener’s work has been extensively exhibited worldwide. It can also be found in many private and public art collections including the abcd Collection in Paris, the Collection de l’Art Brut in Lausanne, The American Folk Art Museum in New York, The Museum of Everything in London and The Treger Saint Silvestre Collection in Portugal.
EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS
2019 A Unique Vision, Orleans House Gallery, London
2018 Magic Circles, Ricco Maresca Gallery, New York
2013 Secret Universe IV: George Widener, Hamburger Bahnhof Museum, Berlin
2013 The Alternative Guide to the Universe, Hayward Gallery, London
2011 Hiding Places: Memory in the Arts, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI
2009 Exhibition 1, Museum of Everything, London
