Olive Grove (Corfu) 1971

Warren Rohrer created "Olive Grove (Corfu)" using pastel on paper. Rohrer, raised in the Mennonite community, found himself amidst the changing tides of American art following World War II. The war's trauma led many artists to abstraction, seeking new ways to express the unspeakable. Rohrer's work, while abstract, is deeply rooted in his connection to the land, reflecting a quiet, contemplative spirituality informed by his religious background. In this work, the grove is rendered not as a literal depiction, but as an emotional landscape. The soft, muted greens and yellows evoke a sense of peace and tranquility, inviting the viewer to reflect. Rohrer once said, "I am concerned with the sense of place and the way light falls on things." The olive grove, a symbol of peace and abundance, becomes in Rohrer's hands a space for meditation on the relationship between humanity and nature. "Olive Grove (Corfu)" embodies a search for harmony in a fractured world, offering a vision of serenity rooted in personal experience.