Rosamond Berg

These works are from a series of assemblage/box constructions comprised of rows of tiny hand-dyed cloth sacs whose fillings represent symbolic and mystical substances. Titles in this series such as Autumn Light Dust and Rainbow Light Dust refer to the remnants of ephemeral elements that have been magically gathered and preserved in these display cases. The subtlety of the works epitomizes the quiet, sometimes haunting tone of the overarching series. The juxtaposition between the soft, delicate sacks and the structure of the box ignites a tension between opposing forms, balancing a Minimalist composition with ethereal references. The underlying rhythm and sense of ritual suggests a powerful energy stored away in these quietly charged objects.

Rosamond Berg was born in Brewster, New York, and received a BFA from Cornell University in 1954. After graduating, she spent a year in Rome as an assistant to a professor at the American Academy. She first exhibited with Allan Stone Gallery, New York, in 1977. Her work has been reviewed in Art in America, Art New England, The Boston Globe, and Artspeak. She has exhibited in museums including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the Hudson River Museum, Yonkers. Her work is held in the public collections of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum, Cornell University, Ithaca; St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, New Canaan; the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.; and the Neuberger Museum, Purchase. The artist passed away in 2018.