AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY

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I began my art career as a sculptor, studying with such luminaries as Chaim Gross and Bruno Lucchesi . I learned to translate what I observed (and imagined) into realistic three dimensional work. 

But I was challenged by some of my artist friends to try to create the same feeling of depth on a flat surface. So after 20 years as a sculptor, I enrolled in a drawing class at the Art Students League of New York, where I soon learned that I could do it! So began the second stage of my journey through various media with subjects ranging from still life to figures to portraits to landscapes to abstraction.

I am grateful to my teachers who traveled the road of discovery with me, including Costa Vavagiakis, David Lefell, Greg Kreutz , David Dunlop and Burton Silverman. But the kick start into abstraction was inspired by Balthazar d’Apocalypso and Frank O’Cain.

Today, much of my work involves impressionism and abstraction. In my “Fractured Figures” series, traditional perspective is replaced with overlapping flat shapes and a “push/pull” use of color to create depth. I have organized this site to reflect my journey from still life to abstraction and I hope you will enjoy seeing the progression. (The work appears on this site in approximate reverse chronological order with the recent "Fractured Figures" series appearing first.)

Currently, my work is shown at the Sandra Neustadter Gallery in Delray Beach, FL and at Arthur T. Kalaher Fine Art in Southampton, NY (and at their site on 1stdibs.com). I can be contacted on Instagram, Facebook or by email at bertramlewis13@gmail.com.