Artist Statement
I’ve always been fascinated with the figure beautifully rendered and by pattern and decoration. In my new work, I focus on these two interests: my figure studies are given a context within the designs found in erotic Japanese “Shunga” prints, Persian miniatures and the pattern traditions of Eastern Art: realism and pattern/Eastern and Western aesthetics.
The history of art can be seen as an attempt to balance these two intentions: to create the illusion of three dimensions, or focus more on an interpretive, abstract quality, thereby enhancing pattern and decoration. This reflects the contrast between a literal and symbolic view of the world—confirming what we perceive—contrasted with what we feel about what we perceive.
When you include a narrative, the dynamic becomes even greater. What is the meaning of what we’re doing, how does it look, and what pattern does it create? If we relax the need to separate what is real from what is imagined it becomes simply a relationship, and thus gains power. Those relationships are the potentialities from which we construct our culture, our sense of self, and our identity. Time and space are in play, and “play” is the operative word for what I’m doing.
– Michael Bergt
I realized while working on the 
A paradox is a seemingly absurd, or self-contradictory statement or proposition when we hold firm to the oppositions: believing if this is true then that can’t be. However, paradox is more than opposition, it reflects the dynamic nature of opposing forces. We understand something as being white, in relation to something being black – left in relation to right. Yet we tend to focus on only one aspect, for example: the object and its movement separate from the space surrounding it – they are in fact, interdependent.
A paradox is a seemingly absurd, or self-contradictory statement or proposition when we hold firm to the oppositions: believing if this is true then that can’t be. However, paradox is more than opposition, it reflects the dynamic nature of opposing forces. We understand something as being white, in relation to something being black – left in relation to right. Yet we tend to focus on only one aspect, for example: the object and its movement separate from the space surrounding it – they are in fact, interdependent.
Shunga in Japanese literally means “springtime,” with its promise of new life. The word also has a special meaning in Japanese art. From the late 17th century onward, Japan was undergoing a major social shift as the influence of the burgeoning business class began to overtake the traditional ruling and samurai class. The new power base perceived the world as a transient, ever-flowing “Floating World.” The pleasures of the Floating World were to be enjoyed by all. One form of expressing sensual pleasure were the erotic prints known as Shunga.
A traditional Russian Icon inspired the painting St. Michael of the Apocalypse. The Icon reads: St. Michael trumpets in the final hours as he conquers the devil with cities toppling below. I’ve always been drawn to images of St. Michael because we share the same name. Icon painting has also fascinated me because of its use of egg tempera (my primary medium) and its stylized, narrative format. I bought an Icon of this subject a couple of years ago with the intention of working on my own version as a self-portrait. However, it was not until after the tragedy of September 11th that the Icon’s image began to have a greater meaning for me.
The curtain rises, separating light from dark, heaven from earth. Adam and Eve wait in the wings looking towards center stage. On stage, a giant apple sliced in half is suspended in front of a paradise backdrop. The apple partially obscures the snake-like tear in the backdrop demonstrating that paradise is only an illusion. At the core of the apple is a fetus, the seed of knowledge and the awareness of life and death. To eat of this fruit is to understand potential life and ultimately, one’s own death. Adam and Eve stand in their changing booths at the point of transformation. We all know what happens, and the play begins.