BARRY AND BARBARA SHAFFER: Over Eighty

SUKI BERG: Quiet Heroes

April 15– May 2, 2010

Reception: April 25, Sunday, 1- 3pm. Conversation with the Artists: 2pm

Gallery Hours: Thursday through Sunday, 12 - 4pm

LA Artcore is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Los Angeles artist Suki Berg and the photography project of Barry and Barbara Shaffer.

Suki Berg, painter, printmaker and photographer, is 93 years old. Berg began her career after she earned a degree in science from Hunter College, in New York, in 1938. She then studied under Hans Hoffman, and at the Manhattan School of Art and Design. A dedicated student, her influences ranged from Fauvism to Abstract Expressionism as she continued to develop her style. She says, “I stole from everyone and I hope I learned from everyone.”

Much of Berg’s work is figurative. In her paintings and printmaking, she has thematically explored the emotional structures of family life, as well as the loneliness of the individual. Her expressive gestural marks and intense palette are reminiscent of the painterly freedom of Abstract Expressionism, while her use of subject matter and materials has reflected developing interests and contemporary influences.

In the 1990’s, Ms. Berg had difficulties using her hands, and turned to photography and etching to create her work. Expanding into the area of self-examination she completed a series of nude self-portraits, and in an essay on Berg, Suvan Geer wrote “Berg’s self portraits expose the psychological vulnerability” of aging, and document “the strength and humor to be found in the creases and folds of a body growing old…”

Suki Berg works in her studio everyday, which attests to the power and drive of the artist. Accepting the challenges that come with aging she is willing to adapt and explore different techniques and technologies in order to continue to make her work.

In 2006, Barry Shaffer and his wife Barbara, set out to meet and document the lives of some of Los Angeles’ oldest immigrant citizens and to highlight the ethnic and cultural diversity of our city.  Hours of in-depth interviews with their subjects were conducted before Shaffer picked up his camera. The result is a deeply personal and poignant black and white photographic exhibit portraying the dignity of aging, the experiences of leaving homes behind, the scars of war and conflict, the beauty of tradition and the challenges of adjusting to and surviving in a rapidly changing world.

The subjects' thoughts and philosophies are as diverse as their backgrounds, as they speak of facing death, how faith has affected their lives, of politics and thoughts of world peace, of culture and customs, fear, and of the legacy they hope to leave behind - both to their own progeny and to the world at large.  Eighty and Over's marriage of black and white imagery and text, forge a bond between the subjects and the public, encouraging viewers to examine their own lives and values and their place in the world.  

Barry Shaffer is a professional photographer and Barbara Shaffer is a Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in the field of geriatrics.

Quiet Heroes/Over Eighty is funded in part by a grant from the city of Los Angeles’ Department of Cultural Affairs.