Simmons University presents “Recent Paintings, Gerry Bergstein and Gail Boyajian,” Nov. 10 to Dec. 12 at the Simmons University Trustman Art Gallery, fourth floor, Main College Building, 300 The Fenway. There will be a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 18. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
“Recent Paintings” is the third in a yearlong series of exhibitions spotlighting artist couples. Boyajian and Bergstein, who have been married for 11 years and live in Cambridge, worked together on several paintings for this exhibit, which is their first collaboration.
There is tension in Boyajian’s paintings: beautiful birds perch on razor wire; soldiers stand like angels watching over a dance. There are military helicopters in the sky along with the hawks. Clouds of smoke rise over cities to blend with the clouds in the sky. Boyajian’s juxtaposition of bucolic classical themes with seamlessly integrated images that represent a dark commentary on the contemporary condition of humanity creates “a vision which merges traditional landscape painting with a new world reality,” according to the artist.
“I am interested in making a dramatic image out of the layers of various belief systems, from the ancient Greek myths to Old Testament stories to 19th century evolutionary theory to modern newspaper immediacy,” said Boyajian, who has a concurrent show at the Judy Anne Goldman Fine Art Gallery Oct. 29 to Nov. 29 where she will be giving a gallery talk in conjunction with the Boston Art Dealers Association on Nov. 5 at 5 p.m.
Bergstein, called one of Boston’s best-known painters, says he is “committed to a continual uncovering of unpredictable relationships between desire, perception and belief and in deepening the resonance between process, image, history and style.” Many of his recent images depict dervish-like whirlwinds that convey an apocalyptic vision.
Bergstein states that his “paintings contrast the awesome and the trivial, the historical and the personal, the manic and the melancholic.” He was a recipient of a Gottlieb Foundation award in 2003 and exhibits at the Howard Yezerski Gallery in Boston.
Trustman Art Gallery hours are 10 AM – 4:30 PM, Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, 10 AM – 7 PM on Wednesday and Thursday. The gallery is free, open to the public and wheelchair accessible. For more information, contact Kyle Mendelsohn at (617) 521-2268 or find us on Instagram.