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Eric Zener Paintings

American, b. 1966

Eric Zener is a self-taught Photorealist artist recognized for his figure paintings of lone subjects often submerged in swimming pools.

Zener employs water as a metaphorical tool to express renewal and personal transformation. It speaks to the collective desire in all of us to retreat from the noise of the world, challenging the shallow, surface-level questions and concerns that frame our daily lives. Additionally, Zener works across a broad spectrum of materials, including paint, silver leaf, and resin, to create texture, depth, and dimensionality in his work.

Zener’s work has been exhibited in the United States, and internationally, for over 25 years. His solo exhibition history has largely been with his long-standing dealers in San Francisco and New York. Additionally, Zener has had numerous shows in Asia, Australia and Europe. Eric’s work has been featured and reviewed extensively in art magazines and other publications. Apart from gallery representation his work has also been included in museum shows and international residency programs.

Find original Eric Zener art on 1stDibs.

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Artist: Eric Zener
SELF - Contemporary Realism / Swimmer / Waterscape / Male Figure
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Original oil painting by Eric Zener. Eric Zener’s photorealistic paintings and resins are focused on four motifs: landscapes, figures in bed or on tightropes, and bodies in water. ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

ENVELOP - Contemporary Figurative Realism / Swimmer / Diver / Water
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Original Painting by Eric Zener. The painting is signed.
Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

ETHEREAL- Blue Water / Female Swimmer / Floating Free / Photorealism
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Original oil painting by Eric Zener. Eric Zener’s photorealistic paintings and resins are focused on four motifs: landscapes, figures in bed or on tightropes, and bodies in water. ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

GRACE - Figurative Realism / Female Swimmer / Beach House / Contemporary
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Original Oil Painting by Eric Zener Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, OR) completed his BA in 1988 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an artist he has been engaged in a...
Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

ABOVE IT ALL - Contemporary Realism / Male Figure Swimmer / Ladder Journey Sky
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Original Painting by Eric Zener Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, OR) completed his BA in 1988 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an artist he has been engaged in a que...
Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

SUMMER RIPPLE - Contemporary / Figurative / Swimmer
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Original Painting by Eric Zener. Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, OR) completed his BA in 1988 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an artist he has been engaged in a qu...
Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

HOW TO BE HAPPY - Underwater Photorealism / Female Swimmer / Large Portrait
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Original oil painting by Eric Zener. Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, OR) completed his BA in 1988 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an artist he has been engaged in ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

NIGHT PLUNGE II - Contemporary Realism / Water / Ocean / Deep Blue
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Original oil painting by Eric Zener. Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, OR) completed his BA in 1988 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an artist he has been engaged in ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

KEEP MOVING - Contemporary Realism / Pop Art / Male Figurative Art
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Original Painting by Eric Zener
Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

A BLENDING INTO - Realism / Figurative / Swimmer
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, OR) completed his BA in 1988 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an artist he has been engaged in a quest to observe and understand the ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

SUMMER CASCADE - Realism / Waterscape / Figurative / Swimmer / Beach House
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, OR) completed his BA in 1988 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an artist he has been engaged in a quest to observe and understand the ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

GLIDING THROUGH - Contemporary Figurative Pop Art / Beach Swimmer
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Original painting by Eric Zener.
Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

PATHWAYS - Abstract Landscape / Branches and Tree / Blue and Brown
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Original Oil Painting by Eric Zener Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, OR) completed his BA in 1988 at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an artist he has been engaged in a...
Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

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Previously Available Items
REJOINING, photo-realism, landscape, dense forest, grey sky, green, vivid color
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LOOKING AHEAD, man in water, photorealism, underwater, swimmer
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EPHEMERA I, Swimmer, Blue Water, Pool, Bubbles, Female Form
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2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

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Unbound, Contemporary Realist Painting, Oil, Figurative, Swimmer, Ocean, Blue
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Located in New York, NY
In this painting, a large female swimmer comes into close-view as she rises from under the blue pool water towards the surface. The painting is similar to a large selfie or an underw...
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Where I End and You Begin
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Eric Zener’s photorealistic paintings and resins are focused on four motifs: landscapes, figures in bed or on tightropes, and bodies in water. Zener manipulates light to create psych...
Category

2010s Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Deep Voyager
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Eric Zener’s photorealistic paintings are focused on four motifs: landscapes, figures in bed or on tightropes, and bodies in water. Zener manipulates light to create psychologically ...
Category

2010s Photorealist Eric Zener Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Clear Opening Ahead
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, Oregon) is an American photorealist artist best known for figure paintings of lone subjects, often in or about swimming pools. Zener is a self-taught ar...
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2010s Realist Eric Zener Paintings

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Breaking the Surface Tension
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
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21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

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Thin Line Study II
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Eric Zener’s photorealistic oil paintings are focused on four motifs: landscapes, figures in bed or on tightropes, and bodies in water. Zener manipulates light to create psychologica...
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21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

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Mixed Media, Resin

Blissful Descent
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Eric Zener’s photorealistic paintings are focused on four motifs: landscapes, figures in bed or on tightropes, and bodies in water. Zener manipulates light to create psychologically ...
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21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

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Letting Go
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Eric Zener (b. 1966, Astoria, Oregon) is an American photorealist artist best known for figure paintings of lone subjects, often in or about swimming pools. Zener is a self-taught artist. His new series turns to large scale, bright yet enigmatic canvases based on amusement park water slides...
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21st Century and Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

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In the Stillness
By Eric Zener
Located in New York, NY
Oil Painting by Eric Zener of a woman swimming in a pool, viewed from under the water.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Eric Zener Paintings

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Oil, Canvas

Eric Zener paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Eric Zener paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of paintings to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Eric Zener in paint, canvas, fabric and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Eric Zener paintings, so small editions measuring 24 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of David Ligare, Thelma Appel, and Chris Gwaltney. Eric Zener paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $8,000 and tops out at $90,000, while the average work can sell for $46,000.

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