Fine artist,Ray Berman, hosted an exhibition of his abstract paintings on Saturday at Yebo! Art Gallery. The exhibition is themed ‘The Joy of Paint’, was a reflection of the artist’s attitude towards creating his paintings. The gallery was packed with art lovers who were served drinks and refreshments as they marveled at the artist’s creations. The artist’s artwork was first introduced by Yebo Art Gallery artist and long-time friend of Berman, Pete Armstrong, who revealed that the exhibition was the gallery’s 55th. Aleta Armstrong, Yebo Art Gallery Director, also revealed that they had partnered with the online art marketplace,Artsy, and that the artist’s work was available for viewing on the site.
After sharing warm and affectionate stories of their companionship, as well as revealing the many talents and crafts the artist has practiced such as architecture, the guests proceeded to view his works. The artist revealed what the ideal response and interaction with his work from viewers would be. “They should feel a reaction in their gut – not in their intellectual centre but their emotional centre and hopefully a feeling of joy. I am feeling a lot of joy in my old age and I am trying to communicate that,” he said. Speaking on the relationship between objective and subjective experiences and interpretations of his art,the artist clarified the nuances between these two. “There is the emotional and spiritual level, and then there is a physical level. The painter wants you to enjoy the way the paint is applied. The energy, the colours and how the colours talk to each other.That might be a bit esoteric and might be just for the people who paint. The subjective is there but the objective is the material – the joy of paint,” he said. The artist also pointed out the universal nature of music and how music affects all people even if they are not aware of what is being said in the lyrics.
He urged the viewers to connect with his paintings in the same manner. He revealed that there was a cathartic experience in creating his work whilst also admitting the difficulties in switching off the mind and creating from an inner necessity. He further added his intimate relationship with colours and described his synesthesia. “Colours talk to me, and I do have a little bit of hearing colours and seeing sounds when I listen to music,” he said. His interest in music, especially South African jazz, is apparent in his artworks.The artist humorously revealed, however, that he had struggled with grasping the art of playing the trumpet. Having been in the local art industry for decades, the artist revealed that he has seen an improvement in the response and interactions to his work from the country.
“Yebo Art Gallery has done an amazing job and there has been a growth and awareness. Working in an abstract manner, however, is still a bit of a leap for people. They are usually looking for an image such as a sunset,” he said. He noted how there is a struggle to create in an audience where there is a lack of transcendence from merely interacting with the image to interacting with the emotions. “The trend in the country is for what can be called realism. Istill feel like I am a bit outside of the general trend,” he said. With regards to upcoming projects, he revealed that he has dabbled for years in architecture and design but has retired – due to this, no upcoming projects are on his agenda. He has done work as an art director for films and has also done set designs but has stopped doing that as well. He currently focuses only on painting. The gallery will be open for viewing from Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm. The show will run until March 11.