Neil Berger: Artist's Statement

Artist Statement

Looking at the contemporary art world, I find that I am an outsider, an outlier or worse; but I have no choice about the vein I work in.

The work I most admire is blatantly in love with nature. When I see Egon Schiele drawings (not so much the mannered early work but the later, more direct work) I think, what else is there to do but draw people (or houses, chairs) with such devastating passion and intelligence?

When I get tired of working in the sky-trees-fields landscape style I think of Charles Burchfield. His openness and ecstasy before nature is humbling. Obviously all I can do is pursue my own awe. Wyeth said one’s work goes as deep and as far as one’s love. I believe that.