Robert Bergman

Robert Bergman and Laurie McConnell were very kind to invite me to visit recently. We spent three or four  hours together.

I felt immediately comfortable with them in their home, which is a bit of a hybrid home, and, for now I will leave it to Bob and Laurie to tell that story.

Before I sat down or took off my jacket, Bob asked to see pictures of my family. This curiosity made me happy- and within a few minutes, he had my Iphone and was browsing the pictures while I watched, and answered questions. We spent most of that time looking at portraits I'd made of Marilyn's paintings in her current show, some of which I will post later.

Although for me the visit was a really really wonderful experience, we should get right to the point, which is his work. Here are some links. There is a recording linked below, for example, of Toni Morrison reading at the opening of his exhibition at the National Gallery. Toward the end of that reading are some profoundly insightful observations that begin: "there are no strangers, only versions of ourselves".

What can I say about work that hasn't been exhibited as yet? I choose not to say much. Robert has only just been born within a few recent years as far as being known for what he is- a wonderful and much accomplished artist, and this despite many decades of producing work that has always been recognized for it's importance when seen-

still,  I'm almost-- but not at all-- alone in the belief that the works that haven't been exhibited yet will have a powerful effect on our sense of what he has done, and our sense of what abstraction and photography can be and do. I hope that the works I saw a few days ago are exhibited soon.




Toni Morrison's reading:
http://www.nga.gov/podcasts/lectures/2009.shtm


http://www.brooklynrail.org/2009/10/art/robert-bergman-with-john-yau


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704471504574445390823842348.html


http://www.artsjournal.com/realcleararts/2009/10/discovering_robert_bergman.html

http://www.brooklynrail.org/2004/05/art/bergman


http://www.nga.gov/press/exh/3106/


http://www.lemonde.fr/style/article/2013/02/08/arret-sur-visages_1828298_1575563.html


http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2009-10-13/news/36929403_1_robert-bergman-national-gallery-sarah-greenough

http://momaps1.org/exhibitions/view/301

http://www.yossimilo.com/exhibitions/2009_11-robe_berg/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/nov/02/robert-bergman-photography