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Post by hillsj2001 on Dec 4, 2011 20:04:20 GMT -8
agreed...always in awe of his work |
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Post by saL on Dec 12, 2011 4:39:05 GMT -8
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haven
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Post by haven on Dec 12, 2011 7:16:53 GMT -8
Thanks for that, saL. I really need to finally pull the trigger on this.
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Qstom
New Member
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Post by Qstom on Apr 1, 2012 3:24:06 GMT -8
Hi folks Just in case you didn't notes, Chris Berens' website has been updated with a few new paintings. There is also a couple of WIP paintings! I love them all.. even if there are a few Star Wars characters involved  ! Enjoy!       |
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Post by twitch on Apr 1, 2012 6:49:35 GMT -8
I like this new stuff a lot, I'd really like to see a print run or two of his come out at a cheaper price point than his previous ones. I'd like to get a print or two of his on the wall.
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haven
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Post by haven on Apr 1, 2012 8:38:55 GMT -8
Utterly amazing.
And yes to more prints.
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Post by saL on Apr 1, 2012 10:02:36 GMT -8
thanks for sharing these.. I was looking into finding some info/preview about the upcoming show, but somehow couldn't find any...
Chris' imagination and technique is mind blowing, and these pieces prove that once again.. somehow they feel like a logic sequels to Mapping Infinity piece...
as for the prints, I was talking with his gallery in Amsterdam, and they didn't seem to be too keen on releasing new editions any time soon.. and if they would, I doubt they would be bigger edition/smaller price range than the previous ones..
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Qstom
New Member
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Post by Qstom on Apr 15, 2012 16:33:35 GMT -8
Well.. we'r getting close to the opening!  Also, here the piece that Chris' has painted for the upcoming show “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” @ Copro Gallery  Enjoy! |
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Post by PhotoGus on Aug 9, 2012 21:23:52 GMT -8
Like.
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Post by ksn on Aug 9, 2012 21:46:47 GMT -8
Don't know how I missed those hi-res images above, but I found a new background image for my ipad  |
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Post by saL on Aug 10, 2012 1:00:36 GMT -8
 LAMINATE Most Wanted x Chris Berens Limited Edition Signed Cover is now available HERE |
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Post by eseffinga on Aug 14, 2012 2:06:40 GMT -8
Roq la Rue has a couple great Berens images up as part of their Lush Life 4 show that opened last weekend. Beautiful work.
As I was typing the above, I remembered something my wife said offhandedly a couple years ago, and I've wondered about ever since. I can't recall exactly the way she phrased the rhetorical question, but the gist was her wondering how well Chris' art will hold up over the long term. I think she mentioned Schnabel's plates falling off.
Which I think raises an interesting discussion, and maybe a bit of an elephant in the room, unless I've missed something somewhere. Especially given the name of the board.
How do you all feel Chris' work will stand the test of time? Creatively speaking, some of that was touched on in this thread years ago, but I'm not talking about that. I mean physically.
As someone that has spent years working with museums, it's funny that I'd not bothered asking this question of anyone before buying my own Berens piece. But knowing the properties of most plastics and their propensity to yellow, warp and become brittle. That most adhesives also tend to yellow and become brittle. And that most clear watercolors, inks and dyes fade, even when fade resistant, and that inks largely shrink and become powdery with time. Even the "archival" stuff, it begs the question, how will it all stand the test of time? Especially since the transparency of it all is what Chris' work method hinges on.
I've read the various interviews where Chris mentions using plastics engineered for a more archival lasting effect, but the truth is this is all still very much new technology, and certainly the way Chris is using it is completely unique and not as the manufacturers intended.
I can't help but be curious if anyone else has had a personal conversation with Chris about the longevity of his work, archival concerns, and any first hand knowledge of how his oldest pieces using these techniques are holding up over time.
For those that don't know, my wife's reference to Schnabel was because there have been several instances of pieces of his paintings (specifically smashed plates and assorted detritus) peeling up and falling off in the galleries in which they are hung over the decades since they were sold.
Hopefully people understand I'm not stirring the pot here. I own a piece by Chris myself, and love his work to death. I just got to staring at it the other day. Was lost in it for a while, as often happens. But thinking of it with my archival hat on, it does make me genuinely curious what everyone else knows, and if anyone has discussed any more about it with Berens.
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Post by ksn on Aug 14, 2012 2:19:18 GMT -8
I think that's a valid point of discussion. I am not 100% clear on his techniques, but in general, I am wary of any manufacturer's claims of longevity, especially given that they don't have years and years to put their product to the test.
I am not promoting this idea, and it would certainly change the effect that Chris wants to portray, but hypothetically speaking, would covering the work with a layer of resin help preserve the piece? I do realize that resin yellows as well, but at least all elements will be held securely in place.
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Post by eseffinga on Aug 14, 2012 3:25:08 GMT -8
I have pieces by Phil Hale that are photographic collages. I don't know how familiar people here are with his work, and in particular his cutups, but he intentionally uses cheap clear tape when putting those images together. They yellow, they brittle and over time they can come apart as the adhesive in the tape breaks down. It is all part of the image created. Phil puts a bit of linen behind them to help hold the collages together when the adhesion breaks down on the clear tape, so they shouldn't fall apart completely, but it is definitely a risk/possibility. At the very least, unlike a lot of oil paintings and the like, the piece as it appears on day one is not the piece as it will appear 10 years on.
It is one of those things that I accepted when getting pieces from Phil, and he let me know up front that it was a distinct possibility, because the ones he put together going on 20 years ago are showing definite signs of aging.
I am cool knowing some of my art pieces may be a temporary thing, though hopefully they will largely last my lifetime, and the enjoyment I will have gotten from the work will be well worth the money spent to acquire it. As with many things involving art purchases, I've long since discovered that seeing it as a source of pleasure is a far purer relationship with the work. It is when people start to think of the objects they collect as investments or long term commodities that things get more complicated for them.
For me, my curiosity is more based on my hope that the piece will be around a long long time for me to enjoy, rather than any worry about re-sale value down the road.
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Post by ksn on Aug 14, 2012 11:23:19 GMT -8
It would be cool if someone out there with an original and a camera/webcam, could take a pic once a week, and then 10 years from now put together a time lapse of the piece. I would be happy to if anyone wants to loan me a Berens for a decade. |
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Post by roqlarue on Aug 28, 2012 8:50:52 GMT -8
Hi- I just noticed this thread...I spoke to Chris to get the lowdown for you.
The inks Chris uses are high pigmented drawing inks with great colorfast-ness. Inks, however great the quality, should never be kept in direct sunlight. Not for too long anyway. ( I have a Large Berens that I've had for 5 years that occasionally gets a smidge of direct sun and I haven't seen any changes yet!)
Every layer of ink is covered with an extremely thin layer of alkyd lacquer. This lacquer is colorless but will yellow slightly over time when kept in absolute darkness.
Once the paintings are done, they are finished with 3 to 4 layers of waterbased lacquer, that are not supposed to yellow or alter the original colours and protect the piece whether kept in daylight, sunlight, or darkness (i.e. if stored).
So to sum up, because of the combination of inks and the alkyd lacquer, the absolute ideal way to keep the paintings is in daylight, not sunlight and not in absolute darkness.
He also said:
"Whenever something happens to a painting, I am more than happy to fix or repair. Up until now this has only happened in transport or owner-caused accidents (like dropping a painting).
But as it is not a conventional precedented technique, time will tell how they will hold up and as long as I'm around I'm more that happy to revise or fix anything that happened to the painting since you acquired it."
Please feel free to drop me a note if you ever have questions about Chris' work!
-Kirsten
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Post by saL on Aug 29, 2012 5:27:02 GMT -8
 'Chris Berens. Master of his Magical Universe' is the title of a documentary that's being filmed these days in and around Amsterdam. The trailer will be finished soon, and in few weeks crowd funding campaign will start with many special rewards for the supporters. Feel free to like this Facebook page for more info about this project. |
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Post by saL on Sept 1, 2012 0:43:55 GMT -8
 Chris Berens signing the Laminate poster/cover with Voivode image. Available here. |
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Post by saL on Sept 17, 2012 4:03:14 GMT -8
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Qstom
New Member
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Post by Qstom on Sept 17, 2012 4:26:46 GMT -8
FINALLY!! I can't wait for the release of the documentary! So.. come guys, let's give some love to this amazing project. I've just done a donation, I have to say it took a bit longer than it should be (as the website it's still in dutch) but nothing you can't fix by using google translator. |
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Post by saL on Oct 25, 2012 3:16:49 GMT -8
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Post by devours on Oct 25, 2012 10:13:40 GMT -8
Oh my. That is the first time I have seen the 'Heavens' print framed. That is stunning.
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haven
Junior Member
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Post by haven on Oct 25, 2012 13:10:31 GMT -8
Oh my. That is the first time I have seen the 'Heavens' print framed. That is stunning. I was thinking the same thing this morning. Suddenly I really want one. |
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Post by saL on Nov 28, 2012 8:12:23 GMT -8
Jaski gallery had 3 new paintings by Chris Berens @ PAN fair in Amsterdam:  Hum (80x80cm)  Sovereign Still (145x136cm)  Diaspora (148x111cm) as far as I know, only Diaspora might still be available... with it's depth, richness of character, contrast between murky underwater, and lighter sky, it's a great example of his work and his incredible imagination.. Hum is a much more simple, yet beautiful image, kind of reminding me of The Kiss, and it was sold very quick... Sovereign Still is a majestic piece showing all that is great about Chirs' art and his unique technique - from smoke blowing monkeys in the sky, to typical Amsterdam houses with recognizable house/family signs, his "signature" polar bears, hedgehogs, dolphins, mist, and blur..
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haven
Junior Member
Posts: 83
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Post by haven on Nov 28, 2012 8:46:52 GMT -8
Truly amazing. I wish we'd get a new print or two from Chris, so much work that I'd love to have on my walls.
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