The Jane Sauer Gallery To Exhibit New Works by Michael Bergt

Written by Jacqueline Sullivan Monday, 01 August 2011 00:02

Santa Fe, NM.- The Jane Sauer Gallery is proud to present Santa Fe artist Michael Bergt’s new body of work from August 12th through September 6th, in an exhibition entitled "About Face”. Michael Bergt has received attention worldwide for his exceptionally beautiful artworks combined with meaningful narratives relevant to the contemporary human condition. His purpose is to create beauty but also to arrest the viewer’s eye by setting forth some seeming contradiction or paradox inherent in our lives: "My intentions are to challenge and identify the perceptions of our mind’s eye.” A student of the European masters for many years, Bergt mastered his technique and the very difficult medium of egg tempera.  His work astonishes viewers by the way he combines old world draftsmanship--not often seen in contemporary art--with a highly contemporary vision.  His choice of egg tempera and colored pencil as his mediums require mastery and perfection that few living artists can match.

Bergt is a figurative artist who prefers to draw the human figure from life: “There’s a tension, a limited amount of time that the body can hold a pose, and I draw out of it, in a limited time, something that defies those limits.”  He has been described as “representational but not realistic.“ Male or female figures, fully modeled in lifelike renderings, generally occupy the focal space of his compositions, but he situates the figures within an imaginative context, a flat space filled with symbols and images: “I’m fascinated by myths and symbols, their constant ability to transcend the facades of life, creating a short-hand for meanings.” Bergt’s creation of a contemplative, complex narrative in his works is apparent in his description of “Undergrowth,” a colored pencil and gouache artwork: “This portrait has an unexpected element in it. The rope tied around her skull seems to be drawing a line between calm and chaos. On one side her hair is a mass of unruly curls; on the other side, a picture of calm order. Her face is also a picture of calm order, but the swirl of her hair suggests there is something powerful being reigned in. The complex knot on top of her head has been guided by a higher influence, keeping her upright and aligned.  The fantastic vegetation behind her is a metaphor for the wild forces channeled into order.”

Bergt’s narrative in “Omen”, a large egg tempera painting on panel with gold leaf, is similarly complex: “The black crows behind the portrait were from Japanese screens. I loved the way the birds all had their beaks open, as if announcing something. The man is looking over his shoulder as if he’s aware of something behind him, or wondering if something is following him. I wanted to create an air of suspense around him. The flat patterning of the black crows creates that psychological tension to frame the subject’s state of mind. They are like a message, or a warning of some sort. Perhaps they’re an omen.” Critic John O’Hern recently said about Bergt’s work: “Throughout his work, Bergt suggests that the particular situations of his subjects are metaphors for situations we all face and endure. There is comfort in the commonality of the situation and the process, even if there is no suggestion of resolution. His faces exist in a condition of potential.”

The Jane Sauer Gallery is known for its excellent reputation among art admirers, collectors, museum curators, art critics, and artists. Jane brings to the gallery 34 years of wide experience as a highly recognized professional in art. She is known nationally by museum curators and collectors for her work as an innovative studio artist, and is often requested to serve as guest judge or curator for exhibitions. Artists and collectors throughout the country continue to seek her advice and remember her for her continuous activism in promotion of the arts. Jane brings her lifelong experience, training, and artistic eye to bear on the selection of artists she represents in the gallery. Her selection process is rigorous: “I seek to present work that is conceptually sound, meaningful, and captures the essence of intellect and creativity. Although each work must be technically accomplished, I look for a quality in the work that reveals ‘the hand of the artist'.” Throughout her long career, Jane Sauer has been at the forefront in supporting creative artists who are not limited--in their vision or in the materials they use:  “The field of art is ever-expanding, limited only by the range of the human imagination. Contemporary artists are redefining our notion of art, creating a fluid field that is not tied to traditionally recognized techniques or media.” Visit the gallery's website at ... http://www.jsauergallery.com

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