Jeffrey Berg – Watching

Description

My former work as a counselor in a community mental health clinic in Washington, DC greatly informs my art – as do contemporary humanist / social justice issues such as isolation, homelessness, hunger, trauma. And personal, internal themes such as the distances between us, reflection, watching, waiting, forgiving, grieving, pausing to look and listen. I work with a narrative, my work tells a story. I like stories that have intimate yet larger, communal implications. I often think of my work in terms of parables. And I sometimes turn to poetry, stories that I grew up with, as well as stories that are revealed to me through life in DC and my work as a counselor. The exploration of character and personal narratives is of endless interest to me. The result, I hope, is intriguing, accessible, and human. Most recently, I have been working with large paper, often in multiple panels like the pages of a book, using chalk and pencil because they evoke writing and narration. Each panel stands on its own; together, a larger narrative emerges.