Armin Mühsam - Biography

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Artist's arttributes:
•	Male
•	Painting, Illustration

Most exhibitions in:
Country	№
Germany	7
USA	3
Romania	1

Most exhibitions held at:
Institution		№
	GALERIE LICHTPUNKT - AMBACHER CONTEMPORARY, Germany	6
	Zeitgeist Gallery, USA	2

Biography:

1968 Born in Klausenburg/Siebenbürgen (RU)

ABOUT THE WORK

Armin Mühsam's starkly beautiful landscapes have garnered acclaim throughout the United States-on the West Coast, in the south, and in the heartland near his adopted hometown of Maryville, Missouri. A number of art critics have praised the mysterious qualities of his work, asking questions such as "Where are these sites?" or perhaps "Why are these landscapes so empty?" Moreover, the artist's skill at creating a sense of timelessness can be seen through characterizations of his paintings as "futuristic;" "records for future use;" and "ambiguous in time and space."

As effective as Mühsam is at creating compelling narratives, the most appealing aspect of his work may be their utter fictiveness. In "Landscape & Tunnel" (2006), one is presented with a painting of an architect's model of a construction project-a facsimile of a facsimile of a built (or about-to-be built) environment. In "Entrance" (2003), we see a tunnel-like structure that seems to have no exit instead of a faithful rendering of an actual tunnel.

So what is "real" in such scenes? Ultimately, the artwork itself becomes the "real" object for apperception. Through such intellectually rewarding ends, Mühsam engages the mainstream art discourses of the past 40 years (in particular, Semiotics). He thus ensures that his work will engender multiple layers of interpretation for many years to come. Timelessness indeed. (James Martin, Curator, Sprint Nextel Art Collection)

Awards 2002 Ernst-Habermann-Preis.

Bes t of Show. Small Landscape Show, Clark House Gallery, Bangor, ME.

2003 Purchase Award. Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX.

2004 Best of Show. 4th Annual National Art Exhibit, El Dorado, KS.

Honorable Mention. 2004 Biennial, Brad Cooper Gallery, Tampa, FL.

2005 First Place Watermedia. Art Center of Estes Park, CO.

2007 Honorable Mention. ANA 35, Holter Museum of Art, Helena, MT.

2008 Juror’s Choice Award. Arts Alliance Center, Nassau Bay, TX.

Purchase Award & Theme Award. Cultures Without Borders, Kansas City, MO.

Honorable Mention. MO Art Professors Exhibit – Columbia Art League, MO.

2009 Award of Excellence. Galesburg Civic Art Center, Galesburg, IL.

Third Prize. Impact Artists Gallery, Buffalo, NY.

Honorable Mention. KSpace Contemporary, Corpus Christi, TX.

2010 Purchase Award. McNeese National Works on Paper, Lake Charles, LA.

Second Place. Austin Art Space, Austin, TX.

Workshop Award. Clatsop County Community College, Astoria, OR.

2011 Honorable Mention, Irene Rosenzweig Biennial, Pine Bluff, AR.

2012 Second Place. National Art Premiere, Elmhurst, IL.