Bergen Rose
Artist’s Statement
Bergen Rose has painted in distant locales from Nepal to Norway, inspired by landscape and culture. She began her pursuits in art in 1979 after participating in Judy Chicago’s now historic Dinner Party Project, which opened at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and is now a permanent acquisition of the Brooklyn Museum. Bergen has exhibited her work for over 25 years in Los Angeles, New York, Portland, Seattle and France. See her current work at the Brackenwood Gallery on Whidbey Island and at www.bergenrose.com.
Considered a landscape artist with an appreciation for the surreal, Bergen’s work contains a quiet narrative within dreamy views of light, land, water and sky, often edging on the abstract. She paints light-infused ethereal views that can mirror her own interior-scape, views, bordering on the invisible, similar to aspects of humanity that are often invisible and overlooked, until closer inspection. But, we also see quirky aspects, such as birds, animals, chairs, balls, boats or other objects passing through her landscapes as simple images to express human emotion. A bird looks toward a boat, imagining its own life journey; the chair waiting patiently for company; the ball rolling its way across the canvas as a burst of pure energy. When asked about the use of red in her work, she simply says she cannot help it – the red creates a lot of tension within herself to paint – but it is as close as she can get to painting an inner life force which otherwise would not show itself… Bergen’s drive to paint is continually charged by her views of the world, filtered through emotion and spiritual influences.
Bio
Born in Washington D.C., Bergen spent some of her early childhood living on a farm with grandparents in Oklahoma after her mother took ill. Her grandmother, a woman of few words, painted images of their rural surroundings. She put a paintbrush into Bergen’s hand, and Bergen never let go. Bergen eventually moved to Southern California, mainly Santa Monica, where she lived for many years. In the 1970s, she lived in England and Spain, a nearly three-year experience that further fueled her love of art and adventure. Bergen continued her explorations in the 1980s by traveling to Nepal many times, hiking, painting and visiting Tibetan monasteries. She also traveled to Africa, hiking and painting Mt. Kilimanjaro, bicycled over New Zealand, and ducked bullets in Sri Lanka. These adventures expanded her love of landscape as did traveling and painting in France, Switzerland, Germany, Basque country, Portugal, Norway and Japan. She moved to the Northwest in 1994, where she resides today…
Education
Bergen studied art in the late 1970s with Martin Facey, an exceptional teacher at Santa Monica College and UCLA. It was through Martin that she met his mentor, Richard Diebenkorn, and was inspired to pursue her art. She also feels fortunate to have studied and exhibited with master Japanese calligrapher Yoshiyasu Fujii in the art of sumi-e (ink painting) and shodo (calligraphy). Bergen has also worked in the mediums of oil and encaustic wax. Although she now paints with acrylics, fiber art has captured her attention. Bergen’s work in the tactile medium of fabric has introduced her to a new world of international artists pursuing exciting visions in textiles and fiber – a world where she unexpectedly won the 2011 “Coup de Coeur” award at the int’l textile and fiber art exhibit in Beaujolais, France. In addition to the blossoming international fiber artists seen on the horizon, influences and inspirations include painters Franz Klein, Mark Rothko, Dennis Snyder, and of course Richard Diebenkorn, as well as Turner’s and Inness’ landscapes, and the poetry of Rilke, Lorca and Leonard Cohen. The inspired visuals that continually hold her interest are within nature itself, the sky and the sea, the innocent world of animals, and the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi – simple, random, irregular and imperfect beauty.
Collectors
A list of her solo and group exhibits is provided on request. Bergen’s work is included in the private & public art collections of:
Northwest collectors include Janet Upjohn, Ron & Carolyn Woodard, Kathy Opler, Mariel & Bruce Bailey, Jody Bone, Maggie Kennedy, Sally Eustis, Jack & Sandy McCullough, Ruth Nomura, David Ishii, Mark & Karen Mullens, Karen Mountain, Diana White, Mindi Katzman & Michael Dupille, Sylvia Glover, Greta & Graham Fernald, Marjorie Hemphill, Louise Hoeschen-Goldberg, Anita Katzman Estate, Bo Barker, Beth & Dan Woodman, Justine Kreher, Susan Faw, Jude Janis, Rick Rasmussen, Enso House, Julie O’Brien & Dwight Zehm, Nancy Broaders, Barbara Joy Laffey, Michelle Rose, MaryJo & Michael Stansbury, Hiroshi & Camille Colaizzo, Kellie & Pat Elliott, Joyce & David Stettler, Carol Webb, Susan & George Soltman, Katherine Zaring, Paul Menzel, David & Sydney Blank, M. Henderson, Heide Johnecheck; Diana & Kelly Lindsay; Barbara Phillips; Lucie & Andy Ury; Nancy & Terry Parker; Danielle & Norm Bodine; Peggy Zafarana & John Crowser; Robin Leavitt; Marsha Chandler; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center;
California collectors include Judy Carter, Martha & Charlie Francis, Jerry Rubin, David Farrar, Betsy Spann, Steve Kunishima, Danette & Julio Rivera, John Gallagher, Pam & Mark Lough, Justine Linforth, Mike & Julie Fletcher, Diana Farnsworth, Marjorie Braude, Barbara Marsh, Virginia Fink;
East Coast & Midwest collectors include Dennis Snyder, New York; Judy Geist, Philadelphia; Virginia Lucero, Washington D.C.; Kirby Upjohn, Kansas City, to name a few.
Resume
2012…………….. …………….. Surreal on the Surface, acrylic paintings & fiber art, Brackenwood Gallery, Langley, WA*
Art Textile en Beaujolais, international fiber art exhibit, Beaujolais, France
2011…………….. …………….. Birds in Stitches, exhibit of birds in fiber art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Small Pleasures, exhibit of original small art, Brackenwood Gallery, Langley, WA
Art Textile en Beaujolais, int’l fiber art exhibit, France – winner of “Coup de Coeur” award
2010…………….. …………….. Small Pleasures, exhibit of original small art, Brackenwood Gallery, Langley, WA
2009…………….. …………….. Show of the Crow, exhibit of oil and acrylic paintings, Whidbey Island Center for the Arts
Houston International Quilt Market, fiber art & pattern exhibit (2009-2011)
2008…………….. …………….. A New Reality, 2-month exhibit of acrylic paintings and prints, NWCC Gallery, Seattle*
Bumbershoot Invitational, exhibit of original work and prints, NWCC Gallery, Seattle
Variations, exhibit of original work and prints, NWCC Gallery, Seattle*
The Rapture of Form exhibit, Agora Gallery, Chelsea, NY
2006…………….. …………….. Tacoma Art at Work, ‘wine label art’ exhibit Happier Hour
Cycles, 2-month exhibit, Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, Langley, WA*
NWCC Gallery, ongoing selection of prints and cards, Seattle, WA
Coastal Community Bank ongoing exhibit, Freeland, WA
Bayview Arts, featured exhibit of original art & prints, Langley, WA
2005…………….. …………….. Transitions exhibit & auction for Enso House at WICA, Langley, WA*
Annual Open Studio Tour, Whidbey Island, WA (2005-2010)
2004…………….. …………….. Birds, Boats & Rocks, 3-month exhibit Barker Martin law firm, Seattle*
2003…………….. …………….. Treasures of the Heart exhibit, The Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle
Blue Mountains Black Birds exhibit, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Medina*
Meito Shodo Kai exhibit, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Seattle
Sumi-e & Shodo at The Cat exhibit, The Green Cat Café, Seattle*
Seattle Erotic Art Festival, Town Hall, Seattle
2002…………….. …………….. East-West Horizon exhibit, The Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle
Japanese Calligraphy exhibit, Doizaki Gallery, Los Angeles
2001…………….. …………….. Toy Memories exhibit, The Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle
MeitoKai Shoten Japanese Calligraphy Exhibit, Seattle Center
Birds & Branches exhibit, The Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle*
2000…………….. …………….. The Birds exhibit, Franklin Gallery, Port Townsend*
Genwa MeitoKai Japanese Calligraphy Exhibit, Seattle Center
1999…………….. …………….. Tokens of Affection exhibit, The Fountainhead Gallery, Seattle
1998…………….. …………….. Encaustic Ponies exhibit, Mesolini & Amici Gallery, Seattle*
1997…………….. …………….. Commissioned paintings (five) for private collections
Wackies in Wonderland exhibit, WAC, Seattle
Museum of Northwest Art auction, artist participant, La Conner (1997-1999)
1996…………….. …………….. Commissioned paintings (five) for private collections
ArtSplash ’96, Anderson Glover Gallery inaugural invitational exhibit, Kirkland
Artists of The Feminine Gender exhibit, Mesolini & Amici Gallery, Seattle
Folklife ’96, invitational exhibit, NWC Center & Gallery, Seattle
Art Show at The Dog Show, Wichita, Kansas
Artist Trust art auction, artist participant, Seattle (1996-2002)
Bellevue Community College invitational exhibit and auction, Bellevue (1996-1997)
1995…………….. …………….. Canis Northwestius show, Cunningham Gallery, UW, Seattle*
1994…………….. …………….. MARS Postage Art show, Seattle Center, Seattle
Perkins Coie annual art exhibit, Seattle (1994-2001)
1991…………….. …………….. Tara & Her 21 Manifestations “Rooftop of the World – Year of Tibet” show, Roerich Museum, NY
1990…………….. …………….. The Dancing Eucalyptus, 7th Heaven Gallery & Cafe, Santa Monica*
1989…………….. …………….. surREAList ART show, John Thomas Gallery, Santa Monica
1988…………….. …………….. New Faces show, John Thomas Gallery, Santa Monica
1987…………….. …………….. Summer Exhibit show, AIS Gallery, San Francisco
Julia Morgan Exhibition, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA
1984…………….. …………….. Stable Artist, 18th Street Gallery, Santa Monica
1980…………….. …………….. Visual CETA show, LACE Gallery, Los Angeles
1979…………….. …………….. The Dinner Party Project artist participant, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco
Articles/Reviews
Articles in Le Progrès newspaper 2011 & 2012 (France); Les Nouvelles 2012 (French textile magazine); City Arts Tacoma, Seattle Magazine; Journal American; Queen Anne News; Art Access; Sidewalk.com