Georges' Berges artist spotlight 2020

Georges' Berges, Author

Georges' Berges Gallery NY, Berlin The Future of Art
462 West Broadway New York, New York 10012.      ph: 212.475.4524
[email protected]

By every standard, 2020 has been one of the most challenging years in our recent history. As we start to process and search for a personal and cultural meaning of this experience, I am reminded of Joseph Campbell’s words, “The dark night of the soul comes just before revelation. When everything is lost, and all seems darkness, then comes the new life and all that is needed.” 

As this ill-period passes by, we turn to the artist and the art that has nourished, comforted, and challenged us this year. Art has always been a source of transformation. From iconic artists like Michelangelo and his Sistine Chapel to living artists like Todd Williamson and Khara Oxier-Mori, artists and their artworks allow us to transcend those phases of upheaval in our personal and collective lives that seem the most challenging. Art is a source of joy, but more importantly, it can serve to challenge the preconceived notions we have about our own individual selves and each other. Art can be a vehicle of both individual and social “death” and “rebirth.”

I see art as aspirational. Surround yourself with the art that reflects who you are but also who you aspire to be. It is interesting to really capture the art created in 2020 – to not just see it but to fully experience it. I believe that through art one could find hope amidst so much tragedy. Hope for humanity. Hope for a better future for each and every one of us who have experienced loss.  As we begin to look ahead to 2021, may I suggest we look towards the art that we each surround ourselves with and re-evaluate whether it still reflects who we are as individuals and as a people after this truly transformative time and experience? 

The art that we live with has a powerful effect on our daily life.  When utilized wisely, art can serve to take us to new heights – It can help us grow and evoke the inner-person within each of us that too often remains at an unconscious level but that also for many of us, could be the best rendition of ourselves – glimpses of which we experience when tragedy hits or periods of great joy happen but then retreats when and as we go on with our daily lives. The art we live with can help to fully manifest what’s best in each of us. 
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After a tumultuous 2020 and as we enter 2021, think about the importance of the art that surrounds you with the knowledge of its transformative power.  Art reflects not just who you are but who you aspire and will aspire to be in 2021 and beyond. 

SPOTLIGHT
TODD WILLIAMSON
Todd Williamson is an American contemporary painter based in Los Angeles. His work is strongly influenced by the abstract expressionist movement 1950s in New York. Williamson’s paintings are characterized by their grid-like parallel lines that reflect a formal consideration of light, color, and shape. Using a refined process of building and removing multiple layers of oil on canvas, his works engage both complementary hues and opposing values, focusing on the subtle layers of color and movement.
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Williamson is the current winner of the Pollock Prize for Creativity, only the third artist in history to win this coveted prize. His project Processional  was one of twenty official exhibitions at the past 58th Venice Biennale and saw over 100,000 visitors, and was listed by Forbes, Domus, Widewalls, and the Venice Insider as one of the Top 10 exhibitions at the international event.