CURRENT EXHIBIT: GATHER PROUDLY A to Z by JEREMY BERT

Jeremy Bert lights up GATHER by reclaiming the alphabet from the debris of post-consumer advertising, orienting this abstract American landscape around an illuminated target.

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

Electricity and recycled found objects are important parts of our time and place. The visually stimulating nature of these letters, which are appropriated from abandoned signage, originally was intended to move us to part with something quite dear to us—our money. Designed to emblematize a brand, these letters were displayed up high out of reach, as a trademarked beacon. In removing them from their intended context, I re-purpose their bright colors and familiar forms and apply them to a less sinister appointment by placing them in reach both physically and contextually. Sustainable re-appropriation of discarded materials is a liberating process and reflects prevailing common concerns in the world today.

The alphabet is strong in its simplicity. These fundamental building blocks of language are used to express the most profound thoughts, the most vulgar insults, and everything in between. The collective power of this group of shapes is extraordinary. Each piece is important, but no letter is an island. This is analogous to human existence. We need each other. I enjoy the collective random effort that has brought each piece together. In the strip mall, the corporations line up side by side with the small businesses simultaneously competing with and supporting one another. By selecting a letter from each player in the game I end up with a cross section of life in the consumer environment we are all part of. This installation is, in a sense, an abstract landscape of America.

The target is a site-specific piece created for the roof of my studio in the flight path of SeaTac International Airport. It is a visual representation of the paranoia and anxiety that reside in the back of my mind. The constant uncertainty of what the future holds is part of modern life here in America. Our interaction with the rest of the world has supported a mode for dealing with problems that require violence as an indicator of sincerity. You only truly believe something if you are ready to kill or die for it. I think this is an important aspect of the American condition, and one that deserves our concentrated reflection. How can we hold strong beliefs and live this doctrine without antagonizing others in the world who may hold a different set of values? My concern with the current condition of paranoia and anxiety that defines our daily experience have its roots in my Quaker upbringing and pacifist beliefs.

BIOGRAPHY

Jeremy Bert, originally from Billings, Montana, received his BFA from Alfred University in 1994 and is now a licensed neon sign technician, certified welder and crane operator specializing in the installation of electric signs and large-scale lighting projects. He has taught at Pilchuck Glass School and his work has been shown at the Museum of Neon Art in Los Angeles, as well as the Bubba Mavis Gallery and the McLeod Residence both in Seattle.

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