oil painting

“Small Works” featured at AFA Gallery, NYC through the Holidays

Sheila Berry December 5, 2017

SMALL WORKS

Free and Open to Public this Holiday Season

Reception: Thursday Dec 7, 6-9pm
Dec 7 – Jan 1, 2018 |54 Greene St. SoHo | 212-226-7344

United in their scale, the featured artworks from thirty different artists around the world, explore the variation in style, concept, and technical approach present in contemporary painting, drawing, and sculpture. The exhibition, curated by Michael J. Ruple (Gallery Director), features new works by Michael Alan, Jean-Pierre Arboleda, Sergio Barrale, Casey Baugh, Rick Berry, Troy Brooks, Bill Carman, Sas Christian, Colin Christian, Nicoletta Ceccoli, Sam Wolfe Connelly, Kelly Denato, Rose Freymouth-Frazier, Gris Grimly, Justin Hopkins, Jared Joslin, Jessica Joslin, Robert LaDuke, Chris Leib, David Lipson, Francis Livingston, Alessandra Maria, Pierre Matter, Caitlin T. McCormack, Kathie Olivas, Marc Scheff, Steven Skollar, Pol Turgeon, Hannah Yata, and more.

Rick is proud to be exhibiting 6 works along side this all star cast. We hope you’ll have a chance to stop by before the year’s end. Thank you.

“Kitsune Takes the Bet” in San Francisco

Sheila Berry April 21, 2015
kitsune

























“Kitsune Takes The Bet”, 2015 by Rick Berry, oil on canvas,  20″ x 20″

Storybook… Best Remembered Stories
Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco
April 25 to May 9, 2015

Rick has an abiding interest in shape-shifters — across all cultures, past and future. Rick is the son of an Air Force pilot and so was raised in a kind of moveable feast of surreal fighter base communities, populated by people with stories from, well, everywhere. His father, fluent in Mandarin, was stationed in China in the late 40’s (as the Communist Revolution climaxed, engaged in a rescue mission, Rick’s father was the first, and only, person to land a plane in the Forbidden City!).

His parents collected art extensively throughout Asia. As such, Rick grew up surrounded by art and tales of China, Japan, the Philippines and elsewhere. Stories of Kitsune, a fox spirit, are part of this. It so happens that his friend (and sometimes collaborator) Neil Gaiman wrote a “new” folklore involving a kitsuné and a monk— Sandman: The Dream Hunters. A beautiful bedtime reading aloud for children. (We had three small ones then; all grown now, meme’s hopefully installed.)
 
The process of this painting is a story of shape-shifting itself. Beneath it’s surface are several paintings until Kitsune emerged…

For sales information, contact kim@Modern Eden.com (415)956-3033.

Hi-Fructose Features Rick Berry!

Sheila Berry April 21, 2015
We are pleased to announce Rick’s feature in Hi-Fructose Magazine!

hi fructose 

Click here for full feature and art.

For a decade now, Hi-Fructose has been a major publication of the New Contemporary Art. They “deliver a diverse cross section of the most influential, genre bending art of our time…”  We’re delighted to receive this recognition of Rick’s work in their magazine!

Hi-Fructose’s Facebook team also gave him a little love…
“Myrinx” was posted on their FB Page – in a few days it had been “liked” 7k times, with 800 shares! 
Wow, we’re grateful to those who liked and shared. (screen shot below) 
facebook

Phil Hale’s “Life Wants to Live”

Sheila Berry March 20, 2015

A great weekend in NYC (away from shoveling in Boston) to attend the opening reception of PHIL HALE’s solo exhibition at Jonathan LeVine Gallery. His new work is outstanding! It’s an impressive, thought provoking show. Ends March 21st so get there if you can!

We were happy to see many friends, and delighted to visit with Phil and his family. We’ve known each other a long time now, since Phil was apprenticed to Rick from age 16-18 and I watched as they quickly became collaborators. They last shared a studio in England (1986) and in Italy, 2009, they were the subject of a museum installation titled “Parallel Evolution.” where they once again collaborated live in front of a packed house.

At Jonathan LeVine Gallery, I found it interesting to notice that decades after sharing studios, an ocean apart, and each working his own method, Rick and Phil seem to be arriving separately at a similar mission. Each is examining “the instability and uncertainty that characterize our era” – yet with conclusions evolving in distinct directions. You’ll have a peek at Phil’s paintings in these camera shots but I hope you’ll check the gallery site if you are unable to see the originals. Enjoy!

Thank You

Sheila Berry November 1, 2014
_RKW5607
…with “To Absent Friends…” Oil from CABARET set, starring Amanda Palmer, produced by American Repertory Theater, Cambridge

10645166_826121760766549_7595351328898031264_n

We had a wonderful time at the recent reception for Spectrum’s Fantastic Art show at NY Society of Illustrators. This was the third Spectrum exhibition and Rick’s been privileged to have work selected for each. We appreciate the honor of being included with so many great artists and all the work Spectrum and the Society do to make it such a great show. A special thanks to the collector and his family for loaning this silver award winning painting for the duration.  We enjoyed seeing old friends and making new ones.  Lucky us, a night in Manhattan is always fun!
Best wishes to everyone,  from Sheila & Rick 

W-FROST-p2
“Frost” by Rick Berry, Spectrum Exhibition 2009
wMrMunshun
“Mr. Munshun” by Rick Berry, Spectrum 2005 from Stephen King’s “Black House”

 

Rick Berry in Spectrum Exhibition, NYC

Sheila Berry September 1, 2014
W-pAbsent
We are pleased to announce Rick Berry’s Silver Award Winner,“To Absent Friends” is on view in the popular Spectrum Exhibition at the Museum of American Illustration, September 2 – Oct 18
Created for the set of CABARET, starring Amanda Palmer and produced by the American Repertory Theater, “To Absent Friends” is on loan through the generosity of a private collector.

Please join us at the Opening Reception:  
Friday Sept 12th 6:30 – 9, open to all
NY Society of Illustrators 
125 East 63rd St. NYC

Rick Berry & Paper Darts

Sheila Berry July 17, 2014
Why is figurative art important? According to Rick,
“Our figuration of people is the pulse-taking of who we are and how we define ourselves … you actually use the art to see.”
This quote is excerpted from an interview recently published in Paper Darts, an innovative arts and literature magazine that features creative pioneers. The interview, conducted inside Rick’s studio by writer Maria Anderson, explores all the questions that count:
What is Rick’s art philosophy?
What is his creative process?
What personal history is he building upon?
The profile includes a broad selection of paintings and drawings as well as a video clip of Rick from Maria Carbardo’s award winning art documentary, Better Things. 

To discover why Ms. Anderson titled her interview “The Continuous Feast”, click here.

Changeling
Clockwise from top left: “Dancetron” (graphite, digi-post processed), “Vanish” (oil), “Changeling” (oil)
© RickBerryStudio.com

“Injury Prone” accepted into Spectrum

Sheila Berry May 15, 2014
We are pleased to announce Rick’s oil painting – Injury Prone – is included with this year’s best in Spectrum 21, the art annual promoting contemporary fantastic arts.

Injury Prone, oil by Rick Berry, inquire at info@RickBerryStudio.com
Injury Prone, oil by Rick Berry, inquire at info@RickBerryStudio.com

I asked Rick about his painting exhibited at Pease International Tradeport, NH last fall,

“Injury Prone is about the athlete warrior.

Jacked on steroids, surgically repaired and activated on short recovery with pharmacological fixes; forced to perform schedules designed to suit media not health, he’s super powerful, a designer being.

But is it an Archilles bargain with a twist? Life is incandescent for a brief time. The violence both without and within takes a toll. Once great, the athlete warrior endures premature, diminished physical health and sometimes damaged cognitive capacity as well.

The twist is that this decline is not short, but a lingering period of social indifference and fading for many who, in their youth and without regardful counsel, never saw this coming.”

Is this our future? An earlier painting on this topic is Steroid Giant. SteroidGiant

Special edition – TOME II: Melancholia includes
6 paintings by Rick Berry

Sheila Berry May 14, 2014
Tome II : Melancholia

is a special limited edition anthology by invited artists to explore this theme. It includes 6 paintings by Rick. Click these thumbnails for full size images and information about painting availability. Click Art Prints in menu above for Limited Edition Archival Print information.

The theme is described as ” …MELANCHOLIA, the condition more akin to the alchemical phases the psyche passes through for our individuation and evolution…aka NOT depression or mourning, but something far more essential and ultimately beneficial to us all… belief is that this (art)  influences the collective in a deeply meaningful and critical way.” 

Rick is honored to be included in this book with friends he greatly admires such as Ashley Wood, Anita Kunz, Bill Sienkiewicz, Dave McKean, George Pratt, Kashra Ghanbari, as well as friends with whom he has collaborated, both at his studio and in Italy: Phil Hale, Brom, and Jason Shaw Alexander; along with many other fascinating artists. This book is massive and full of great art. 12″x18″, 200 pages.

Curator/Editor Kasra Ghanbari presented a selection of Melancholia art at Last Rites Gallery, NYC while the book was in production. Last Rites Gallery also hosted a wonderful pre-launch book party during NY Comic Con, which included Rick’s painting, “Nelson”. Perhaps you were there?

Rick Berry in “UNIVERSE” – opening Friday

Sheila Berry April 9, 2014

Finish! 3/25
“Final Approach” by Rick Berry  12 x 12″ oil at Modern Eden Gallery

Rick was happy to be invited, along with studio pal, Rich Pellegrino, to create work for
Michael Cuffe’s curated exhibit April 12th – May 3rd at Modern Eden Gallery in
San Francisco, CA.


Press Release:   “UNIVERSE: The Art of Existence” will bring together artists on the subject of space, the cosmos, galaxies, celestial bodies, planets, stars, and more. Also explored is the larger outer paradigm of the Universe that relates to things of an atomic scale, such as elements of quantum physics, atoms, and energy streams. Each artist has been encouraged to interpret the Universe itself as either an outer or inner world.”  -Michael Cuffe, Editor-in-Chief,  Warholian


Opening Reception: Saturday April 12th, 6-10 pm
Modern Eden Gallery, April 12th – May 3rd
403 Francisco St., San Francisco CA
Sales: Kim@ModernEden.com (415) 956-3033

MICHAEL-CUFFES-UNIVERSE-TEASER-POSTER3