Sharon Weiner, an accomplished abstract painter based in Los Angeles, California, has carved out a distinctive place in the American contemporary art scene through her deeply introspective and visually immersive works. Drawing inspiration from the transcendental traditions of postwar American abstraction, Weiner’s paintings transcend the purely visual to become expressions of internal consciousness, emotion, and presence. Her work is not only a visual statement but a powerful assertion of the right to be seen, felt, and heard.
Artistic Background and Education
Weiner’s academic path laid a solid foundation for her artistic practice. She earned her BA from the University of Missouri in St. Louis before pursuing an MFA at Claremont Graduate University in California. Her commitment to artistic excellence was recognized early in her career with the prestigious Distinctive Merit Award from the San Diego Museum of Art in 1993. Since then, her work has appeared in exhibitions across the United States and has been acquired by both corporate and private collections worldwide.
A Deeply Personal Approach to Abstraction
Rooted in both personal experience and intellectual exploration, Sharon Weiner’s approach to painting goes far beyond aesthetics. While her medium is poured acrylic and her forms are abstract, her art is grounded in an ongoing internal dialogue—a form of self-revelation. The layered surfaces of her canvases, created through meticulous pours of paint and medium, are simultaneously smooth and deep, evoking a sense of timeless, meditative space.
Rather than illustrating specific memories or emotions, Weiner’s paintings give form to the feeling of being, of sensing, reflecting, and processing life. This is a deliberate choice. Coming from a family of psychoanalysts, Weiner has long been immersed in the language of introspection, dream analysis, and the complex layers of consciousness. This exposure is not overtly referenced in her work, but it imbues her creative process with an unusual depth of awareness.
The Influence of the Transcendental Abstract Tradition
Sharon Weiner’s artistic lineage is connected to the transcendentalist strand of American abstraction, particularly the works of Mark Rothko and Agnes Pelton. Like Rothko, Weiner seeks not merely to show but to evoke. Her paintings offer the viewer an experience—a sensation that arises from the interaction of color, form, and space.
Yet, unlike purely color field painters, her abstract language includes organic shapes that emerge and dissolve into luminous backgrounds. These shapes, drawn partly from the natural world and partly from her imagination, float in a space that seems to breathe. They create a sense of movement within stillness, a quality that is central to Weiner’s work.
Material and Method: Layers of Meaning
Weiner’s technique is both meticulous and fluid. She builds her compositions by pouring layers of acrylic paint and medium, allowing the materials themselves to contribute to the final result. This process results in smooth, glass-like surfaces that invite the viewer in, while simultaneously suggesting depth and complexity beneath the surface.
The organic shapes that populate these spaces are not random. They echo forms found in nature—cells, leaves, particles—but are transformed through imagination and intuition. The result is a visual field that feels alive, pulsing with quiet energy and introspective resonance.
The Power of Having a Voice
At the heart of Sharon Weiner’s practice is the idea of having a voice in the world. Her paintings are more than personal reflections—they are affirmations of presence. As a woman artist working in the abstract tradition, Weiner contributes to an ongoing dialogue about visibility, identity, and the power of non-representational art to express the inexpressible.
She does not seek to narrate her life experiences directly through her work, but instead to evoke what the experience of living feels like. This distinction is subtle but vital. It allows the work to remain open and expansive, resonating differently with each viewer while retaining a strong sense of authorship.
Collections and Recognition
Sharon Weiner’s work is held in an impressive array of private and public collections, affirming both its aesthetic impact and emotional resonance. Her paintings can be found in institutions and corporations such as the Portland Art Museum (Portland, OR), Adobe Systems, Inc. (San Jose, CA), Kranson Industry Collection (St. Louis, MO), Wellington Management (Boston, MA), and Allergan Inc. (Irvine, CA), among others.
Notably, she is also represented in the collections of individuals and firms such as Joan and Jack Quinn in Los Angeles and Alston & Bird in Atlanta. These placements reflect both the wide appeal and deep significance of her art in a range of cultural and commercial settings.
A Lasting Contribution to Contemporary Abstraction
In a contemporary art world often defined by conceptual density or figurative trends, Sharon Weiner stands out for her commitment to the emotive and experiential potential of abstraction. Her paintings serve as quiet but potent meditations on the human condition, awareness, and the right to express without narrative constraints.
By merging intellectual rigor with emotional authenticity, and by situating her work within a historical tradition while remaining thoroughly individual, Weiner has created a practice that is both timeless and timely. Her art continues to invite viewers into a space of reflection, sensation, and presence, reminding us all of the beauty and complexity of inner life.
