Museum Studios, Burlingame

Calligraphic Abstractions

Barbara M. Berk has a style that is hard to classify in traditional genres. At once it is sculpture, and it is weaving. It is heavy metals, and it is delicate lace. It is a solid, inanimate object, and it is a perpetual symphony of light and shadows.

Early on, Berk explored the world of jewelry appraisal, but a desire to obtain all of the skills needed to properly break down and examine antique pieces gave her the knowledge and ability to create her own jewelry.

“I woke up one morning and I realized I had learned all this information about jewelry and I had no idea how any of it was made,” Berk said. “How did it go together?”

From that thought came a series of events that landed her in the metalsmithing program at San Diego State, where a new path opened up.

“I gave myself permission to play and out of that I learned to weave and to knit and crochet and to make lace with metal, and it was wonderful,” Berk said.

She began with brooches that she would wear herself, but when her own pieces began to get as much attention as the gems at trade shows she was attending, she began exploring the blossoming potential in her own talents, and from there was born her style of metal lace sculpture.

“It’s freeing in a way that the jewelry never was,” Berk said.

Using a centuries old technique for making bobbin lace, she weaves delicate threads of metals – typically stainless steel or bronze – into strips of sturdy lace that, once displayed and lit, appear as gossamer strands dancing in the breeze, casting a shimmering glow from the metal, and playful expanses of shadows that change with the whim of the light.

The slightest variations in a weave, in the mode of display, in the lighting, or the shape of the room create infinite and unpredictable visual possibilities from each piece. One of Berk’s sculptures may be observed every day for a lifetime, and provide a different experience each time.

Berk is currently exploring those variables on an even bigger scale, working on a piece consisting of multiple large components that will hang in the Burlingame library.

So, like a single thread that, once woven becomes an intricate lace, Berk has spun her art from small wearable pieces, to grand, complex showpieces for the whole world to see.

* * * * *

Email:

Barbara@BarbaraBerkDesigns.com

Instagram: @barbaramberk

Studio #33 and #8

Neil Murphy

A Map of the Mind

The first thing that Neil Murphy said in regards to being interviewed was both quotable, and an inadvertent directive in how to appreciate his art: “I’ll just ramble and you can pick stuff out and say, ‘that’s intriguing.’”

Murphy uses the complexity of mixed media – usually digital and traditional paint techniques – to explore a lifelong fascination.

“I’ve always had an interest in technology and science and the arts, and the part of the world that fascinates me the most is where those all come together,” Murphy said. “So a lot of my work not only has different technologies involved in it but it is also frequently about science topics.”

At first glance his portfolio might appear to be an atlas, or an instruction manual for the human brain. His style often appears to be topographical, with minute details, lines and paths populating many layers of complex textures and seemingly abstract shapes. In many cases he is borrowing from the cartography handbook, but in doing so he creates thoughtful musings on a vast and complicated subject matter.

Every one of Murphy’s pieces starts with a painting, and then he begins to add to it in a multitude of ways: digitally, traditionally, or with an installation element like a light box. All of these techniques are used to make curious maps that can guide viewers along on a visual choose-your-own-adventure, or allow one to simply get lost in the landscape. The technique of printing and then adding on also allows one a chance to follow Murphy’s journey from conception to completion and visit all of the stops along the way, seeing where he felt an image was complete in and of itself, and where that led him next.

In this way, Murphy’s work is a lot like a computer, or a human mind. Each part, layer, or element works on an individual level, but when working in conjunction they unlock an infinite number of potential experiences.

Murphy’s work takes on the task of plotting out sprawling maps of these experiences that the viewer can ramble through, and along the way they find so many reasons to stop and say, “that’s intriguing.”

* * * * *

Web: neilmurphystudio.com

Email: neilart7@gmail.com

Studio #29

Nancy Woods

Art Can Be Anything

In Nancy Woods’ office, the invitation to “take a seat” is at once a thrilling and precarious prospect. Woods refurbishes second hand, vintage, and even antique furniture by restoring each piece to usability and then painting them with bright colors, lively patterns, or whimsical themes. Her studio is full of places to sit, and they are all works of art.

Rest assured, for as beautiful as they are, one can comfortably use Woods’ art for its original purpose. Once Woods has finished a piece, it is meant to be appreciated as a visual treat and as a true piece of functional furniture.

“Any artist has always done art,” Woods said, referencing the many mediums she has worked with. From furniture to signage graphics to clothing and jewelry she asserts, “Anything can be art. At some point in time I saw someone who had a painted chair and I thought ‘Oh, that’s interesting.”

Woods had a chance to study color theory with Josef Albers at the California College of Arts and Crafts, and for much of her career as an artist she was a sign painter. The keen eye for composition from the former and the sure handedness of the latter are evident in the bright, bold palettes, and the clean lettering and precise line work of her furniture.

Woods sources her furniture from many places. Sometimes a piece is brought to her by someone who is familiar with her work, sometimes she finds them in random places, or sometimes she is seizing an opportunity at something unique. One piece in particular was essentially an antique acquired from an old courthouse. Woods restored the chair to its original glory and then covered it in a “Clue” board game motif in a fun nod to its original home.

“I just like people to have fun,” Woods said of her art. “I don’t take anything too seriously.”

This comes through in her art. She does not intend for her work to be put on a pedestal. In fact it often is itself the pedestal. It is intended for thorough enjoyment – to brighten your mood every time you see it, and to lighten your load every time you use it.

* * * * *

Web: oneofdesigns.com

Email: njwoods@sbcglobal.net

Studio #12