Finding one’s passion brings exuberance and zest to one’s life. As an artist, curator, and the owner of Beyond the Lines Gallery, Brittany Davis is working towards her dream every day. “Matter and Texture” is her latest curatorial project at her gallery.
The two-person exhibition reunites two artists. Helen Berger and Andrée B. Carter had been previously paired together to collaborate a group show for Gallery 825. The artists remained good friends and were later chosen to exhibit in a group abstract show at Beyond the Lines Gallery where they met Davis. Berger and Carter asked about exhibiting again together and “Matter and Texture” was born. Davis said, “These two very talented, driven, professional artists have a spark in their work together, and I knew that a show featuring the two of them would be a wonderful exhibit. Pushing them a little out of their comfort zone into doing an installation of both of their artistic styles combined is going to be a fantastic addition for every viewer to experience.”
Each artist comes to the end result differently. Berger said she felt Carter was more about freedom and externalization, while she approached her art in a more obsessive and meticulous manner. “I think our ‘glue’ was our common love of color and color combination, form, harmony and texture.” She went on to say that they respected each other’s different approaches. Carter agreed, and said she was happy to be back working with Berger again.
Carter found her passion for art in her thirties…going back to school to receive her undergraduate degree and then continuing on to graduate school. She was formally trained in color theory, life drawing, etc., but was always drawn to abstract. Now at sixty-nine years of age, she creates art seven days a week. “Although I am academically trained, my work is considered non-objective rather than abstract. Having said that, I am certain that all of my life experiences and surroundings have seeped into my imagery.”
One of the paintings to be exhibited at the opening is titled Shimmering Ochre. The artist explained that she wanted to create a warm sensation of the color, which was the driving force of the work. “My process is as much about subtraction as it is about addition, so as I go along, I add or subtract color or texture until I achieve my goal.”
Berger will be showing a work titled Copper Parting. She explained that she had worked with gold leaf a lot in the past and had since discovered the added warmth of copper. “I wanted to create a greater feeling of depth and used the background patterns with subtle color differentiations. I felt this contrasted with the vibrancy of the central image and its stronger color and pattern changes.” She added that she wanted to stay focused on playfulness while combining these sensual visuals that had attracted her.
Berger has been creating art, since she was a child…working in various media such as photography, wood turning, printing, pottery, sculpting, and oil painting. For the past few years, she has decided to concentrate on working with wood, paper, and paint. For “Matter and Texture,” her work will feature wood panel with hand decorated vellum and metallic leaf. “I love combining the silky resistance of the birch wood panel and the fragile strength of paper. Decorating and creating an image is pure fun and very rewarding.” Like Carter, she works on her art every day.
“Matter and Texture” opens on Saturday, April 15, 2017 with an artist reception from 5–9pm. It will remain on view through April 23, 2017. Beyond the Lines Gallery is located at Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Avenue, (G #8) Santa Monica, 90404. http://beyondthelinesgallery.com/ http://www.helenberger.com/ http://andreecarter.com/
Originally published at medium.com