Studio Location
Dennis Bertram Studio and Gallery
2495 Main Street, Suite 500
Buffalo, NY 14214-1909
United States
716 832-7928
Artist's Statement
My paintings are visual constructions built up from small images evocative of houses, churches and other types of buildings. The paintings’ compositions are inspired by various ideas related to the complexity of living and the making of sound decisions. Decisions made “on the fly” underlie the “flying” series where structures, like poor decisions, break apart. Life as a journey led to the “skyship” paintings where structures travel through a psychic space. The term “skyships” refers to tight formations of the small images. The journey idea also informs the “map” paintings. The transience of flowers and life inspired the “bouquet” paintings. The “skyships reclaim” paintings display a visual juxtaposition in that the abstract skyships dominate naturalistic, often figurative paintings that the skyships physically defaced, dominated and assimilated - a metaphor for militaristic invasions. The use of gold leaf in paintings harkens back to medieval religious iconography, solicits visual excitation and symbolizes the optimism of redemption and occurs particularly in paintings with dense concentrations of imagery eliciting ideas of overpopulation as well as psychological burdens. My palette varies from the very limited to a broader chromatic scale. My limited palette is similar to that of Renaissance Dutch painters. The broader palette employs a more colorful range.
Bridge
CLASS: Paintings
CATEGORY: Abstract
MEDIA: Oil, 23k gold leaf
SIZE: 36 x 40 inches
YEAR: 2016
PRICE: $25,000
2nd place finish in American Artist 2020 Annual Competition in Abstract/Experimental category.
Horde
CLASS: Oil Painting
CATEGORY: Abstract
MEDIA: Oil
SIZE: 36 x 48 inches
YEAR: 2015
PRICE: $7,500
Gather at the River
CLASS: Paintings
CATEGORY: Abstract
MEDIA: Oil, 23k gold leaf
SIZE: 36 x 24 inches
YEAR: 2013
PRICE: $--SOLD
Tower
CLASS: Oil Painting
CATEGORY: Abstract
MEDIA: Oil
SIZE: 36 x 48 inches
YEAR: 2006
PRICE: $7,500
Skyships Reclaim No. 4
CLASS: Paintings
CATEGORY: Abstract
MEDIA: Oil, India Ink
SIZE: 16 x 20 inches
YEAR: 2012
PRICE: $1,250
Skyships Reclaim No. 20
CLASS: Oil Painting
CATEGORY: Abstract
MEDIA: Oil
SIZE: 28 x 22 inches
YEAR: 2015
PRICE: $1,450
Leader
CLASS: Oil Painting
CATEGORY: Abstract
MEDIA: Oil
SIZE: 30 x 42 inches
YEAR: 2009
PRICE: $2,500
Living in the Dark
CLASS: Oil Painting
CATEGORY: Abstract
MEDIA: Oil
SIZE: 18 x 24 inches
YEAR: 2007
PRICE: $1,750