Chris Berens
Encyclopedia
Chris Berens is a Dutch
painter. While he takes inspiration from the quality of light in the paintings of Vermeer and Rembrandt, his themes lie more within the realms of surrealism
and visionary art
than traditional painting. Although his work is completely hand-painted, his paintings are often assumed to be digital photographic manipulation. He lives in Amsterdam
with his wife Esther and their daughter Emma Leeuwenhart.
, the Netherlands
, near the historic town of 's-Hertogenbosch (a.k.a. Den Bosch), the birthplace of Hieronymous Bosch. When he was a boy, his father brought him to many exhibitions of the Dutch Golden Age
painters, including Frans Hals
, Rembrandt and Vermeer, and those images became infused into the internal world he began imagining as a child. He studied illustration at the Academy of Art and Design in Den Bosch, graduating in 1999. While working as a freelance illustrator, Berens began to teach himself to paint in several dilapidated buildings in the rural area near his childhood home. Attempting to emulate the painting methods of the Old Masters and 19th-century academic artists like Ingres
and Bouguereau, he learned by copying their work, and eventually came upon a technique which allowed him to achieve an otherwordly dreamlike impression of the qualities he admired in his predecessors.
More recently, Berens relocated to Amsterdam, where he began exhibiting his work in 2004. After four sold-out shows at Amsterdam's Jaski Gallery, Berens made the move to infiltrate the American art market in 2008, at Seattle's well-known pop surrealism gallery, Roq la Rue. That sold-out show was his first exposure to American collectors, and the sudden appearance of an artist exhibiting his technical sophistication and evocative dreamlike motifs caused a sensation in pop surrealism circles. In 2009, he had his first museum retrospective, in which 13 of his paintings were exhibited at the Noordbrabants Museum in Den Bosch.
In 2010, Berens was commissioned to create the cover for Blondie
's album Panic of Girls
. He also supplied the artwork for German singer Xavier Naidoo
's 2009 album Alles kann besser werden, which features a painting called "The Big Blue."
Although his 2009 exhibition, "The Only Living Boy In New York," was inspired by the impending birth of his first child, his most frequently revisited theme is death. In paintings like "In Paradisum," "Circle of Friends," "On a Midnight Voyage" and "First Snow, Guide Me Home," he had explored various facets of the experience of dying, as he believes that there is "a great deal of beauty present in the moment of death. After witnessing the pain and struggle of dying, you also experience the lightness of acceptance and letting go." While he feels he is not yet capable of depicting what he envisions to its full potential, he says he strives to improve his skills rapidly, because he is driven to bring these visions into reality. "The reason I paint, is because for me, for now, this is the way to get closest to what I actually see. I suppose you could call it my soul, or the center of me, or my essence."
In reference to his most recent exhibition, his Seattle gallerist stated, "This new series of works, entitled "Leeuwenhart" ("Lion Heart") takes a turn from his last body of work, which depicted icicle-like skyscrapers and New York cityscapes that sparkled like diamonds, to more of a lush, fairytale world of forests, rolling green hills, and ancient looking villages. And while the usual assortment of magical animal spirits show up in all the works, another character makes an appearance, Chris' newborn daughter Emma Leeuwenhart Berens."
On occasion, Berens openly references the work of past masters like Ingres
, Bouguereau, and Delaroche, because his youthful immersion in their work introduced their subjects, environments and atmosphere into his visionary universe. While these homage
paintings often borrow specific elements such as costume and composition, they invariably lift their subjects into a surreal narrative that could never have been conceived by their original creators. Berens explained, "Bouguereau, Ingres, Vermeer and others, I've known by heart ever since I was a little boy... I know them. I'm safe with them. Sometimes I miss them as you can suddenly miss your childhood. So I recreate them, for comfort."
Beginning with pencil sketches and then moving into inks, Berens paints many multiple versions of a figure on inkjet paper. Because the ink remains wet, he is able work with it for some time – for example, dragging though it with a knife to create fur effects, or using a blow dryer to blur areas into soft focus. After a large number of small drawings have been completed, Berens chooses the portions of the figures he is satisfied with and cuts the paper into pieces, retaining the successful sections of the drawings. Peeling the paper backing off the inkjet paper, he is left with fragments of clear plastic bearing semi-transparent ink paintings. These fragments are then collaged onto board with bookbinder's glue, often six or seven layers deep, which creates an illusion of depth. He says, "I use the transparent layers because some things – such as skin, fur and light – can not be done in one layer (by me, that is). It's the same as real skin – the color and texture you see comes from all those semi-transparent layers of tones, and bumps and holes, that your mind blends into 'skin.'" Once he is satisfied with the composition, he marries the disparate elements together with ink and varnish, creating a layered assemblage which often includes hundreds of different elements.
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
painter. While he takes inspiration from the quality of light in the paintings of Vermeer and Rembrandt, his themes lie more within the realms of surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
and visionary art
Visionary art
Visionary art is art that purports to transcend the physical world and portray a wider vision of awareness including spiritual or mystical themes, or is based in such experiences.-Definition:...
than traditional painting. Although his work is completely hand-painted, his paintings are often assumed to be digital photographic manipulation. He lives in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
with his wife Esther and their daughter Emma Leeuwenhart.
Life
Chris Berens was born in 1976 in OssOss
Oss is a municipality and a city in the southern Netherlands, in the province of Noord Brabant.- Population centres :-Transportation:* Railway stations: Oss, Oss West, Ravenstein- The city of Oss :...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, near the historic town of 's-Hertogenbosch (a.k.a. Den Bosch), the birthplace of Hieronymous Bosch. When he was a boy, his father brought him to many exhibitions of the Dutch Golden Age
Dutch Golden Age
The Golden Age was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. The first half is characterised by the Eighty Years' War till 1648...
painters, including Frans Hals
Frans Hals
Frans Hals was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He is notable for his loose painterly brushwork, and helped introduce this lively style of painting into Dutch art. Hals was also instrumental in the evolution of 17th century group portraiture.-Biography:Hals was born in 1580 or 1581, in Antwerp...
, Rembrandt and Vermeer, and those images became infused into the internal world he began imagining as a child. He studied illustration at the Academy of Art and Design in Den Bosch, graduating in 1999. While working as a freelance illustrator, Berens began to teach himself to paint in several dilapidated buildings in the rural area near his childhood home. Attempting to emulate the painting methods of the Old Masters and 19th-century academic artists like Ingres
Ingres
Ingres Database is a commercially supported, open-source SQL relational database management system intended to support large commercial and government applications...
and Bouguereau, he learned by copying their work, and eventually came upon a technique which allowed him to achieve an otherwordly dreamlike impression of the qualities he admired in his predecessors.
More recently, Berens relocated to Amsterdam, where he began exhibiting his work in 2004. After four sold-out shows at Amsterdam's Jaski Gallery, Berens made the move to infiltrate the American art market in 2008, at Seattle's well-known pop surrealism gallery, Roq la Rue. That sold-out show was his first exposure to American collectors, and the sudden appearance of an artist exhibiting his technical sophistication and evocative dreamlike motifs caused a sensation in pop surrealism circles. In 2009, he had his first museum retrospective, in which 13 of his paintings were exhibited at the Noordbrabants Museum in Den Bosch.
In 2010, Berens was commissioned to create the cover for Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
's album Panic of Girls
Panic of Girls
Panic of Girls is the ninth studio album by the American New Wave band Blondie. The album was first released digitally on May 30, 2011, followed by physical releases later .-Background and release:...
. He also supplied the artwork for German singer Xavier Naidoo
Xavier Naidoo
Xavier Kurt Naidoo is a German singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actor. Born and raised in Mannheim, Naidoo worked in several jobs in the gastronomy and the musical industry before relocating to the United States in the early 1990s, where he released his first full-length English...
's 2009 album Alles kann besser werden, which features a painting called "The Big Blue."
Work
In his work, Berens represents an imaginary world he has been seeing since he was a child. "As a boy, I was pretty much what I am now – a dreamer... I always had this really special feeling over me... It's a feeling of another place, a warm place, deep inside me, and I fill that place with all that I see and hear." This internal universe is painted as if it is being viewed through a distorted lens, which gives the viewer a sense of peering into a secret world, inhabited by mysterious human figures from another age and a menagerie of real and fanciful animals. He told an interviewer, "I simply try to paint the world inside my head. This world has been with me since I was a child. It is populated by people and animals and is filled with landscapes, villages, cities and scenes. All kinds of things happen in this world and various stories unfold. But it's not the ‘normal’ world, and they are not the things that happen in the regular world."Although his 2009 exhibition, "The Only Living Boy In New York," was inspired by the impending birth of his first child, his most frequently revisited theme is death. In paintings like "In Paradisum," "Circle of Friends," "On a Midnight Voyage" and "First Snow, Guide Me Home," he had explored various facets of the experience of dying, as he believes that there is "a great deal of beauty present in the moment of death. After witnessing the pain and struggle of dying, you also experience the lightness of acceptance and letting go." While he feels he is not yet capable of depicting what he envisions to its full potential, he says he strives to improve his skills rapidly, because he is driven to bring these visions into reality. "The reason I paint, is because for me, for now, this is the way to get closest to what I actually see. I suppose you could call it my soul, or the center of me, or my essence."
In reference to his most recent exhibition, his Seattle gallerist stated, "This new series of works, entitled "Leeuwenhart" ("Lion Heart") takes a turn from his last body of work, which depicted icicle-like skyscrapers and New York cityscapes that sparkled like diamonds, to more of a lush, fairytale world of forests, rolling green hills, and ancient looking villages. And while the usual assortment of magical animal spirits show up in all the works, another character makes an appearance, Chris' newborn daughter Emma Leeuwenhart Berens."
On occasion, Berens openly references the work of past masters like Ingres
Ingres
Ingres Database is a commercially supported, open-source SQL relational database management system intended to support large commercial and government applications...
, Bouguereau, and Delaroche, because his youthful immersion in their work introduced their subjects, environments and atmosphere into his visionary universe. While these homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
paintings often borrow specific elements such as costume and composition, they invariably lift their subjects into a surreal narrative that could never have been conceived by their original creators. Berens explained, "Bouguereau, Ingres, Vermeer and others, I've known by heart ever since I was a little boy... I know them. I'm safe with them. Sometimes I miss them as you can suddenly miss your childhood. So I recreate them, for comfort."
Technique
Berens is notable for his unique and startlingly photorealistic painting methods, which he developed after teaching himself to paint with oils, in an attempt to emulate Old Master techniques. Although he was dissatisfied with the results he was getting with oil, he discovered that drawing inks, which remain fluid and mutable for up to two days, had a similar flexibility to oil paint. He explained, "When painting in oil, there are a lot of 'presents' you get from the medium. The way colors mix. The way the paint behaves, from your brush onto your canvas, how fast it dries, what happens if you force-dry it, etc. And oil is the medium that is closest to what I use. The amount of possible interference is at a maximum." When combined with a recent invention, plastic-coated inkjet printing paper, these fluid inks offered a new opportunity that had not been available to earlier generations of painters – an utterly smooth, semi-transparent surface designed specifically for the absorption of ink. He said, "I use plastic because it has no texture. I use the plastic on printing paper because it is extremely thin, and clever people have scratched their heads over how to keep the ink put."Beginning with pencil sketches and then moving into inks, Berens paints many multiple versions of a figure on inkjet paper. Because the ink remains wet, he is able work with it for some time – for example, dragging though it with a knife to create fur effects, or using a blow dryer to blur areas into soft focus. After a large number of small drawings have been completed, Berens chooses the portions of the figures he is satisfied with and cuts the paper into pieces, retaining the successful sections of the drawings. Peeling the paper backing off the inkjet paper, he is left with fragments of clear plastic bearing semi-transparent ink paintings. These fragments are then collaged onto board with bookbinder's glue, often six or seven layers deep, which creates an illusion of depth. He says, "I use the transparent layers because some things – such as skin, fur and light – can not be done in one layer (by me, that is). It's the same as real skin – the color and texture you see comes from all those semi-transparent layers of tones, and bumps and holes, that your mind blends into 'skin.'" Once he is satisfied with the composition, he marries the disparate elements together with ink and varnish, creating a layered assemblage which often includes hundreds of different elements.
Major Exhibitions
- 2010 "Leeuwenhart," Roq La Rue, Seattle, WA
- 2009 "The Only Living Boy In New York," Sloan Fine Art, New York, NY
- 2009 "Chris Berens: Paintings," Noordbrabants Museum, 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands
- 2009 "White Ones," Jaski Gallery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- 2008 "Go West," Roq La Rue, Seattle, WA
- 2008 "Delicate," Jaski Gallery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- 2007 "The Heaven Show," Jaski Gallery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- 2006 "Zilver," Jaski Gallery, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Publications
- "Mapping Infinity" (2011)
- "Ninety-Nine" (2008)
- "2239" (2008)
- "Zilver" (2006)