Featured Artist Simon Berson

Artist Simon Berson presents a collection of abstract mixed media paintings that combine surrealism and technology. Visit his website to see more of his work.

 

 

Growing up in New York City had many advantages. I used to skip school and spend days at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Modern Art and the Guggenheim museums. The influence of Tanguy, Duchamp, Picasso, Calder, Kandinsky, Nevelson, Bontecue and many others is apparent in my work.

 

 

I spent 30-plus years as a technical writer/illustrator/instructor, in various corporations (my love of electro-mechanics is also apparent in my work).

 

 

The drawing/collage/mixed media pieces all begin with a series of organic part drawings. These are created from imagination in high contrast to the technological components that were thoughtfully supplied by several technical journals (for example—NASA Tech Briefs).

 

 

The shapes and forms are then cut out and interrelated with glue and decoupage, to create the piece.

 

 

I don’t plan the outcome in advance. I rely on serendipity, usually with surprisingly fresh results in the process of assembly/combining. The component parts blend with the technological images.

 

 

I aim for a kind of balance of organic and inorganic. The basic nature of the work, its quanta, are the individual parts. This approach to making art took a long time to mature.

 

 

My work is at the intersection of surrealism and technology; I call it “Industrial Surrealism.”

 

 

An observer puzzles over the resultant images of the combined forms. Do these images depict a kind of machine, something bio-mechanical, or an alien lifeform or landscape?

 

 

In any case, the work invokes a thoughtful response, a kind of “Brain Candy.” There is no special message to convey. Indeed, the work is playful, and requires the viewer to supply personal meaning. It appeals to adults with imagination and to young people and children.

 

 

The sculptures follow a similar pattern of creation. Collected parts/hardware, found objects, and some original components, all wired together. Some have built-in illumination.

 

Artist Simon Berson invites you to follow him on Facebook.

 

Want to stay current on cutting edge business articles from Artsy Shark, plus artist features, and an invitation to the next Call for Artists? Subscribe to our twice-monthly Updates, and get a free e-book on Where to Sell Art Online right now!