Phyllis Berman

Paintings and Drawings

January 19th - March 3rd, 2007

Opening Reception : Friday, February 9th, 6 - 8 p.m.

Early in her career, Phyllis Berman moved towards a structure that would define her work - frontal compositions that balance abstract principals with realistically rendered forms in a well-defined space. By portraying distance as a series of overlapping processions, the shallow frontal space of her paintings conveys a pictorial surface tension which is inherently dramatic. The large scale realistic interiors, a motif Ms. Berman has been painting since 1984, blend still life with a calculated sense of structure. Arrangements evolve from a repertoire of furniture, ephemera, pottery, fruits and flowers, as illustrated in Markings. These paintings are notable for their crisply modeled forms and striking command of visual detail.

The multi-canvas paintings are inspired by byobu - Japanese six panel screens. She is attracted to their sheer breadth (48" x 96") and the structure it imposes on the pictorial narrative. Over time, it has been clear that Berman's focus has been moving away from objects, towards the play of shadows on the vertical surface which is well illustrated in Dragonfly. Rather than being defined as traditional still lifes, these paintings might best be described as minimal abstraction, utilizing objects to give a sense of space.

In the exhibition catalogue essay, for her recent Wheaton College show, Joseph Ablow, Boston University's Professor Emeritus of Art, eloquently describes Ms. Berman's paintings, "Everything in these paintings is in a state of equilibrium. Berman's description of the tables and boxes is always convincing but never slavish; her color is muted but inventive, fresh and at times, wittily emphatic; her brush is sensitive but invariable discreet. One of the greatest strengths of her painting, almost impossible to pin down within the limits of prose, is her extraordinary sense of measure and proportion and lucid solidity; those same elusive qualities prized by the Italians she so admires."

Phyllis Berman holds B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees from Boston University. She is the recipient of a number of grants, including from the Artist's Resource Trust, and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, and residencies at The MacDowell Colony as well as a Bunting Fellowship. Berman's work is included in numerous private, corporate, and museum collections.

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