NEW BRITAIN MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Anna Rogulina
(860) 229-0257, ext. 218
rogulinaa@nbmaa.org
For images: Melissa Nardiello
(860) 229-0257, ext. 219
nardiellom@nbmaa.org
NEW/NOW: Fern Berman
September 21, 2013–January 5, 2014
Brilliant color, almost meditative compositions and illusory textures reveal a photographer who “paints” with her camera
New Britain, Conn., May 6, 2013. Connecticut-based photographer Fern Berman brings to light beauty hidden in unexpected places: a swatch of flaking paint, a splash of Venetian red, words of faded graffiti or an ancient weathered rooftop. Her images are the result of scanning the world until light, color and composition come together to form an ideal and unexpected frame. Fern Berman is the latest artist participating in the Museum’s NEW/NOW series dedicated to outstanding contemporary artists. On view at the New Britain Museum of American Art from September 21, 2013 to January 5, 2014, approximately twenty photographs will present a cross-section of her recent work ranging from the euphoric and sensual to subtle and meditative.
An opening reception is planned for Sunday, September 22, 2-4 p.m.
It is in the ability of color to evoke emotional response that we find Berman’s “great debt” to painters such as Franz Marc, Mark Rothko, Vasily Kandinsky, and Paul Klee and the impetus to make a connection between the two media. As she explains, “Ultimately it is the effects of color so brilliantly used and so deeply felt in the works of these artists that informs my photography. . . And that make me strive to replicate a canvas.” Her choice to print on deep-grained and thick watercolor paper further enhances the painterly quality of her images.
Berman’s interest in abstraction, color relationships and expression through de-materialization and decay rests on patient observation and contemplation. She has sometimes spent months with a single subject before coming to the “decisive instant” of immortalizing it on film or as a digital image. Whether viewed as a group or individually at close range, the photographs pose the question: does Berman imbue the subject with mystery and emotion through her distinctive vision, or is she simply revealing the layers of what is already there?
Born in Brooklyn in 1958, Berman has pursued photography since a very young age and went on to study it formally at the Art Institute of Boston and the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In addition to the New Britain Museum of American Art, her work is represented in the collections of Wesleyan University, the Buhl Foundation, WNPR New Haven, and numerous other private collections.
Opening Reception: Sunday, September 22, 2-4 p.m.
The NEW/NOW series is made possible by the generous support of Marzena and Greg Silpe.
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Image Captions
Fern Berman, Architecture 101, n.d., Photograph printed on Somerset Velvet 330 gsm paper,
42 x 28 in., Courtesy of the Artist
Fern Berman, Diamonds and Rust, 2011, Photograph printed on Somerset Velvet 330 gsm paper,
28 x 42 in., Courtesy of the Artist
Fern Berman, Man in the Moon, 2011, Photograph printed on Somerset Velvet 330 gsm paper,
28 x 42 in., Courtesy of the Artist
Fern Berman, Tendrils of the New, 2005, Photograph printed on Somerset Velvet 330 gsm paper,
28 x 42 in., Courtesy of the Artist
Fern Berman, The Sea, 1993, Photograph printed on Somerset Velvet 330 gsm paper,
42 x 28 in., Courtesy of the Artist
Fern Berman, Water Colors, 2010, Photograph printed on Somerset Velvet 330 gsm paper,
28 x 42 in., Courtesy of the Artist
Museum Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Thursday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday: noon-5 p.m.
Closed New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Tours
Tours for school and adult groups are available by appointment and should be booked four weeks in advance. American Masterpieces Tour at 1 p.m. Sundays.
Admission
Adults: $12; Senior Citizens, $10; Students, $8; Children under 12: free. Free admission from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays, sponsored by American Savings Foundation.
Café
The Café on the Park serves American fare with regional emphasis.
Monday–Saturday: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Sunday: noon-3 p.m.
Museum Shop
The Museum Shop offers unique items related to the Museum’s collection.
Directions
From Interstate 84:
Take Exit 35 onto Rt. 72. Take Exit 8. Follow signs to Museum.
From Interstate 91:
Take Exit 22N (Rt. 9 North). Take Exit 28 onto Rt. 72W to Exit 7. Follow signs to Museum.
56 Lexington Street
New Britain, CT 06052
www.nbmaa.org
Accredited by the American Association of Museums
The New Britain Museum of American Art is a member of the Connecticut Art Trail, a partnership of fifteen world-class museums and historic sites across the state. Discover collections rich in history and heritage, including European masterpieces, American Impressionism, ancient art and contemporary culture. Make the Connecticut Art Trail part of your next travel experience. Visit www.arttrail.org for information about member museums and lodging packages.