Herman’s imagery drifts comfortably between abstraction and representation, depicting irregular black and white patterns reminiscent of bone fragments or parched, cracked earth; stylized maps of the world; and bleak urban skylines. While the work addresses sociopolitical issues such as the global economy, war, and environmental concerns, the artist also finds inspiration in the mundane. The eroding white paint of a parking lot’s directional arrow melting into the blacktop came to symbolize the fragility of unchecked development and growth in Herman’s piece entitled Broken Arrow.

These stark images, drained of color, point to the distressful side effects of globalization: the polarization of the economy, the loss of uniqueness and a sense of place. In his work, Gold Standard, a map of the world reveals fissures throughout. A gold bar hovers above all. One world, under a new god-the god of capitalism. With Horizon I, we are confronted with a disjointed skyline. The calm grey sea lies completely flat, leaving us to wonder how we will weather the next storm.

The theme of disintegration, of images breaking apart, is repeated throughout Herman’s work, yet the artist offers a glimmer of hope. Placed in the center of several of the pieces floats an ethereal blue globe, a perfect circle, alluding to nature’s endless cycles-mother earth primed for her return.