Kermit BERG
Photography-based Archival Prints
Kermit Berg's light creates a separate, emotionally remote place. His photographs depict natural light streaming into what might be termed contemporary urban cathedrals -- the train station, the store, the museum -- places of congregation that Berg shows empty of human presence. Instead, light is the animating presence. It takes on an existence of its own, transforming space into something abstract and almost consecrated.
Laura Gilbert New York
Living and working in Berlin and San Francisco
Currently working in photographically-based digital printmaking.
Career Highlights
After receiving exposure in Berlin and through gallery exhibitions in Chicago, Kermit Berg moved to the metropolitan New York area in 2002. He has been represented by Lyons Wier Gallery in New York since 2004, and by Flatfile Galleries in Chicago since 2005. In 2008 the artist relocated his main studio to San Francisco with studio facilities also in Berlin.
Lyons Wier Gallery presented Berg's New York solo premier in January of 2006. Flatfile Galleries mounted a solo exhibition in March of 2007.
in May 2007 the Stadtmuseum Berlin (City Museum of Berlin) opened "Umsteigen, Bitte!" (Transfer Here!), Berg’s first solo museum show. The 4-month-long, 90-work exhibition presented a ten year review, beginning with the 1997 digital print portfolio in the Stadmuseum Berlin’s collection titled "Vorübergehende Zeit" (Time of Transition).
The Transit Museum of New York presented a solo show in 2007 titled "Unexpected Stops" premiering a new 70 foot x 4 foot panoramic installation work "Running Express".
Lyons Wier Gallery presented the solo exhibition "Nuclear Family: Wohlstandstraum" in November 2009
Gallery Plan B premiered "Tokyo Night Office" in November 2011
For a chronological exhibition history please see main menu
A Career Synopsis
Kermit Berg earned a Bachelor's Degree in Art from the University of Indianapolis, studied Graphic Design in the Graduate Program of Indiana University, and Digital Arts at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago.
Early in his career, he received the Gmund Award for excellence in Graphic Design and taught as guest faculty at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, and the Oregon School of Arts and Crafts in Portland, Oregon. His first digital print was from a Tektronix inkjet printer in 1985.
After numerous U. S. showings, he moved to Berlin and exhibited there in 1993 with a solo conceptual work titled "Treason: Tablegame for Adults" ("Verrat: Tischspiel für Erwachsene") at Anderes Ufer.
Berg's folio of 12 digitally montaged Iris Prints documenting Berlin titled "Vorübergehende Zeit" ("Berlin Folio: Time of Transition") was acquired and exhibited in February 1997 by the Stadtmuseum Berlin.
In 1998 the Kupferstichkabinett, the Federal Museum for Cultural Holdings in Berlin acquired a print by Berg.
Two 9 ft square mural-scale prints were commissioned in Berlin for Auguste-Viktoria-Hospital in September 1997. Dresdner Bank, Berlin exhibited new Berlin works and commissioned a large format work in January 1998.
In September 1998 Cindy Bordeau Fine Art, Chicago, premiered, the portfolio "Eight Minutes to Loop", 14 Chicago-based digital prints, in a solo show.
In 2000 the artist’s new work was exhibited by Belloc Lowndes Fine Art at Art Chicago. A solo show took place at the Cliffdwellers Arts Club, Chicago and the artist received private commissions in Paris &, Cologne. He also participated in the documentation project Chicago in the Year 2000. (CITY 2000) archived at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
2000-2004 Berg published a suite of 12 prints titled "Glass", and was represented at International Expositions in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Palm Beach & London by Belloc Lowndes Fine Art. Works were reproduced by UNESCO charity projects in 2004 and 2005. The artist was nominated for the Tiffany Award in 2005 based on his "Apparition" and "Subterrain" portfolios.
Lyons Wier Gallery has exhibited the New York / Berlin artist since 2004 in gallery shows and at Photo New York; Scope London; Photo L.A.; Art LA; & AAF New York, and Preview Berlin. The Gallery mounted Berg's solo show "White" in 2006.
In 2007, Berg exhibited in three solo venues: The Ephraim-Palais of the City Museum of Berlin (Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin), the New York Transit Museum, and at Flatfile Galleries in Chicago.
Berlin 2007: The Stiftung Stadtmuseum Berlin opened Berg's first solo museum show "Umsteigen, Bitte! (Transfer Here!)" on May 17, 2007 in the museum’s baroque chateau, the Ephraim-Palais.
Opening ceremony speakers included Dr. Franziska Nentwig, General Director of the Berlin Stadmuseum and Staatssekretaerin Professor Barbara Kisseler, the vice Mayor and Head of the City Council of Berlin,
A museum evening with Berlin-born architecture journalist Adolf Stock interviewing Berg took place on August 1, 2007 with a radio interview with the artist by Herr Stock on Deutschlandradio Kultur’s cultural program, 'Fazit'.
New York: 2007 Two site-specific mural-scale photographic works on paper, "Transfer Here!" and "Running Express" were shown at the New York Transit Museum in a solo show titled "Unexpected Stops" curated by Robert DelBagno and designed by Todd Ludlam.
Also in 2007 Flatfile Galleries opened Berg’s "White II" in a solo show.
The suite: "Economic Miracle" (Wirtschaftswunder) was first presented in Washington DC at Gallery Plan B during FotoweekDC in Dec 2008.
"Nuclear Family: Wohlstandstraum" was the title of Berg’s solo exhibition at Lyons Wier Gallery in November-December 2009: A narrative autobiographical ensemble of new photographic prints referencing and contrasting Mid-20th century design and living in Post World War II Berlin and New York.
Education
2009 Mandarin language studies / Chinese Cultural Institute San Francisco
1991 -92 Scholarship for German Language / Geothe-Institut Berlin
1984 -85 Art & Technology Program/Continuing Program, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois
1973 -75 Graduate Graphic Design/ Degree Program, Indiana University, Bloomington Indiana
1972 -73 Undergraduate Fine Art/ Continuing Program, Herron School of Art, Indiana University, Indianapolis Indiana
1969 -73 Bachelor of Science in Fine Art/ University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis Indiana
Teaching
1990 Oregon School of Arts & Crafts Visiting Faculty, Traditional and Experimental Serigraphy
1986-87 School of the Art Institute of Chicago Visiting Faculty, Experimental Imaging
Bibliography
2011 Washington Post, Mark Jenkins
2011 Washington City Paper, Louis Jacobson
2011 Washingtion Examiner, staff review
2011 Foto Week DC, website, staff review
2007 Der Hauptstadt Brief, Nr. 89 August Issue, Paul Maria Kern
2007 Unter Berlin e.V, Online Interview, Niko Rollman
2007 Museums Journal July Issue, Andreas Teltow
2007 Deutschland Radio Kultur, "Fazit", Adolf Stock
2007 Berliner Zeitung, Lena Schneider
2007 Der Tagesspiegel (Berlin), Jens Hinrichsen
2007 Art-in-Berlin.com Inga Haese
2007 Visual Aids Webgallery Online, Laura Gilbert
2004 Visual Aids Webgallery Online, Brian Clamp
2000 TeleZuri Television 24 (Zuerich), Anna-Belina Schiess
1996 ARD 1 First German Television, Ulricke Licht
1990 Sculpture Magazine, Stephen Luecking
