Suki Berg, Barry Shaffer April 15, 2010

LA Artcore Brewery Annex is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Los Angeles artist Suki Berg and the photography project of Barry Shaffer, "Quiet Heroes/Over 80".

Reception: April 25, Sunday, 1- 3pm. Conversation with the Artists: 2pm. Hours: Thursday through Sunday, 12 - 4pm

Suki Berg, painter, printmaker, and, now, also, photographer, is 93 years old. Berg began her career as an artist after she earned a degree in science from Hunter College, in New York, in 1938. She then studied under Hans Hoffman, and at the National Academy of Design in Manhattan, and the Brooklyn Museum Art School. A dedicated student, her influences ranged from the Fauves, to Abstract Expressionism and onward, as she continued to develop her style, and as she said “I stole from everyone and I hope I learned from everyone.”

Much of Berg’s work is figurative, and in her paintings and printmaking, she has thematically explored the delicate and fragile emotional structures of family life, as well as the loneliness of the individual. Her expressive gestural marks and intense palette are reminiscent of the painterly freedom of Abstract Expressionism, while her use of subject matter and materials has reflected developing interests and contemporary influences.

In the 1990’s, Ms. Berg had difficulties using her hands, and turned to photography and etching to create her work. In a series of nude self-portraits, Berg, employed her body as a point of self-examination. In an essay about her, Suvan Geer wrote “Berg’s self portraits expose the psychological vulnerability” of aging, and document “the strength and humor to be found in the creases and folds of a body growing old…”

Suki Berg works in her studio everyday, which attests to the power and drive of the artist. As she accepts the challenges that come with aging, she is willing to adapt and explore different techniques and technologies, in order to sustain vitality and complexity in the artistic process.

In 2006, Barry Shaffer and his wife Barbara, set out to meet and document the lives of some of Los Angeles’ oldest immigrant citizens and to highlight the ethnic and cultural diversity of our city. Hours of in-depth interviews with their subjects were conducted before Shaffer picked up his camera. The result is a deeply personal and poignant black and white photographic exhibit portraying the dignity of aging, the experiences of leaving homes behind, the scars of war and conflict, the beauty of tradition and the challenges of adjusting to and surviving in a rapidly changing world.

The subjects' thoughts and philosophies are as diverse as their backgrounds, as they speak of facing death, how faith has affected their lives, of politics and thoughts of world peace, of culture and customs, fear, and of the legacy they hope to leave behind - both to their own progeny and to the world at large.  Eighty and Over's marriage of black and white imagery and text, forge a bond between the subjects and the public, encouraging viewers to examine their own lives and values and their place in the world.  
Barry Shaffer is a professional photographer and Barbara Shaffer is a Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in the field of geriatrics.

Quiet Heroes/Over Eighty is funded in part by a grant from the city of Los Angeles’ Department of Cultural Affairs.
LA Artcore is a non-profit organization that helps to develop the careers of the artists and brings contemporary art to the public. Please visit our website at www.laartcore.org