Artist's Statement
About Other Styles
by David Berry
In the tradition of the greatest arts schools, one must first lean the techiques of the masters before having the skills necessary to develop ones own technique. I am still studying art, and I am still experimenting as I find a footing in the art world that I can call my own. Yet, this is only one reason why I paint in different styles.
I use different styles the same way that an author uses sentence structure or a filmmaker borrows cinematic quotations. Simple, clear sentences are direct and straightforward. Even complex sentences, as long as they are used repeatedly, set up an alignment for swift and easy travel. For special emphasis a writer does not simply use a punctuation mark, he constructs a special sentence that is different from the others in order to accent an idea. It may be a slight deviation, like a bump in the road, or an absolute catastrophe. You will find that I have executed some paintings in the classic styles of other artists that provide a special accent for the idea being expressed. To understand the accent, it is important to consider the work and life of the artist.
Storytelling is a kind of style in itself, and sometimes the fluid style that most defines a work as my own is inappropriate for a particular story. As a writer, the hardest thing to do is to edit out a really great sentence that has no business in the paragraph that it is in. Similarly, sometimes what I have to say cannot be said very effectively without evicting my personal style from the painting. Then I borrow from other artist to do it for me, like an actor playing a role for a director in a movie or a Shakespearian theme veiled into a book. The cultural icons of great masters bring a history of experience and emotion that give a dimension of story and history beyond the canvas.
About Faith
Faith leads us in a particular direction, and art can be a compass to point the way.
About Spiritual Painting
The source of art is a singular essence, and painting is a means of sharing spiritual vistas.
About Fluid Style
My own style reflects the fragile and incomplete nature of our understanding of reality.
About Other Styles
An artist develops style by exploring art of the past, and new art is judged by the legacy of what has gone before.
About Evocation
At the very core the purpose of art is to evoke some inner feeling or memory.
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