Artist Biography

Simon Berson was born in New York
City—a metropolis whose ceaseless rhythms and visual noise would
one day echo through the strange, intricate forms populating his
work. Growing up in Washington Heights, Berson’s affinity for art
as a way of seeing and questioning the world was nurtured early. Like
an artist in the making, he found himself compelled to cut classes as
a student, sneaking downtown to roam the grand halls of Manhattan’s
art museums. This early act of defiance was not rebellion for its own
sake; it was a test of belonging, a searching for resonance in
surreal visions and abstract forms far removed from the ordinary
fabric of daily life.

Creativity, it seems, ran in the
family—Berson’s mother was a pastel portraitist, and this gentle
familial influence cast a light over his own early explorations. Yet
rather than follow a traditional artistic trajectory, Berson’s path
wound through less expected territories. Upon finishing high school,
he enlisted in the United States Air Force, a journey whose
discipline and technicality would later inform both his aesthetics
and process. It was only afterward, returning to civilian life, that
Berson fully committed to art, earning his BA Magna cum Laude from
Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1976.

Berson’s visual vocabulary is rooted
in the dream logic of the Surrealists, drawing inspiration from
figures like Yves Tanguy, Marcel Duchamp, and Louise Nevelson. Yet,
his own work transcends homage; instead, each piece emerges as an
“experiment in perception,” void of fixed subject, inviting
viewers to author their own stories. Berson’s process—part play,
part puzzle—begins as a series of organic, invented shapes, which
are drawn, cut out, and arranged into a kind of spatial
improvisation. His technique, uniquely, was shaped by practical
concerns: an early girlfriend disliked the pungent smell of oil
paint, prompting a switch to colored pencils, materials that now lend
his collages their signature vibrancy and intimacy.

His art is distinctive for its
resistance to memory: these are images that elude capture, seeming
unfamiliar each time they are seen. Shapes and colors morph with
every glance, inviting new interpretations and visual journeys.
Critics note how Berson sculpts his surreal forms through playful
contrasts—juxtaposing technical images of glass, metal, and
plastic, gleaned from machinery manuals, with his own colored pencil
inventions, warm and organic. Each collage is part technical
improvisation, part poetic exploration, coaxing out “some
underlying reality.” Viewers report a sensation of satisfaction and
delight in this intellectual playground: humor, visual dynamism, and
sly allusions to art history, film, and technology abound, rewarding
the attentive observer.

Berson’s work has been shown widely,
from New York's Atlantic Gallery and the Cooper-Finn Gallery in
Millbrook, to the Lois Lambert Gallery in Santa Monica and Zurich’s
Art Walk. His assemblages have traveled to Madrid, London, Annapolis,
Las Vegas, Vancouver, and Kennebunkport, marking his presence on both
the national and international art scenes. Among his accolades is an
honorable mention from the Circle Foundation for the Arts,
recognition that stands as testament to a singular and evolving
vision.

Though he is not part of any formal
artist organizations, Berson brings the same curiosity and technical
skill to other aspects of his life. For nearly four decades, he
worked as a technical trainer, writer, and illustrator, passionately
involved in electronics and photonics—fields whose precision and
elegance echo through his artistic practice.

Simon Berson is a restless
experimenter, a patient assembler of dreams. His commitment to art
remains steadfast; he describes his ongoing creative pursuit as an
obsession to be explored "for at least another 10 years."
His work resists easy definition, instead feeding the imagination,
encouraging contemplation, and reminding us that art’s truest
impact lies far beyond the canvas, in the ever-evolving theater of
perception.

Artist Statement

My work invites viewers into an otherworldly scene where the 

boundaries between technology and organic life are playfully 

blurred. the artwork exudes a sense of fantastical machinery, 

evoking thoughts of alternate realities where biology and 

technology are indistinguishably fused. It could be interpreted 

as a visual metaphor for the complex interplay between nature 

and human technology, or simply enjoyed as an aesthetically 

engaging and thought-provoking piece.

I
have developed a distinct approach that merges abstract and
surrealistic aspects that appear to sit at the intersection of the
mechanical and organic, creating pieces that stimulate the observer's
imagination and creativity. The
compositions inspire close scrutiny, encouraging viewers to delve
into the pieces and decipher the multitude of forms and symbols.
There's a journey to be conducted within the pieces and within the
layers of mechanical parts and organic elements, weaving an
intricate, and fantastical visual narrative. The
interplay between biological and mechanical components, a kind of
dreamscape where the synthetic melds seamlessly with the natural. My
unique artistic voice that emerges from the works is one of
investigating curiosity–a journey into the exploration of form and
function as it pivots between the boundaries of biology and
technology.