New and old art works by UCF Professor Emeritus Steve Lotz, who created the university’s art department in 1968 and retired in 2003, will be exhibited March 12-June 5 at the Orlando Museum of Art.
Lotz, whose mural-sized floral triptych Florida Dream has greeted travelers passing through Orlando International Airport’s terminal since 1980, will have 42 paintings, drawings and collages at the new show. His works are usually large format; the largest at this show is 93 by 68 inches.
The exhibit titled The Sources will feature selected works assembled from his 57-year art career. Some date to 1973, when he had a show at the museum while it was known as Loch Haven Art Center. Some of the other, newer works in the show have never been shown.
The Sources title comes from the origin of Lotz’ paintings.
“I don’t consider myself to be a realist; I am an organic inventive. Everything has always come from an unconscious level,” Lotz said. “I have never been a person who works toward an absolutely clear image of what I’m going to do. I work out of doubt.”
The artist said he paints things that are spiritual but with images people understand.
“I see these images that I have to do,” he said. “Spiritually everything in the cosmos is closely related to everything else. It’s all connected. I still try to paint things that people recognize but they come out of what [psychiatrist] Carl Jung called the Self. Others may call it the soul.”
His works, often with floral components and symbols, are expressions of his spiritual connections to the world, to nature and to the cosmos.
After starting the UCF art department, Lotz was the chairman of the department for the first 10 years. During his career at UCF he established a successful career as an artist and instructor. The upcoming solo show is presented in conjunction with the community celebration, Art Legends of Orange County.
The Orlando Museum of Art is at 2416 N. Mills Ave. For more about the show and museum, go to http://omart.org/exhibitions/the_sources_paintings_and_drawings_by_steve_lotz.