Courtesy Galerie Dorothea van der Koelen
3 Stars in Yellow; relief object in Japanese paper
In our post-pandemic, often despondent world, we all need the art of Lore Bert.
Delicate but striking, bright but calming, Bert’s work—created primarily using handmade rice paper—has a way of inflaming the senses and soothing the soul. But it’s her ability to remain focused on and capture the beauty of the world, as well as the common ties that bind us, that make Bert’s art so relevant for our times.
“Her beautiful, thoughtful, and elegantly expressed optimism regarding our current culture and international basic human values is a strong dynamic expressed in her work,” says Carolyn Miles, owner and director of Atrium Gallery in St. Louis. “While the aesthetic experience is often surprising and welcome, the underlying messaging is both universal and positive.”
Miles first set eyes on Bert’s work at an international exposition in Chicago, in the mid-90s. Immediately drawn to her art, Miles has been showing it ever since, beginning with the first exhibit in 1997. On Friday, September 17, Atrium Gallery will once again host Bert’s work.
The two-month exhibit, titled “Reflection/Inspiration,” will feature both new and significant work from the German-born artist, who recently celebrated her 85th birthday and the publication of a comprehensive book on her life and work. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience Bert’s unique art, most of which is created by fashioning handmade paper into dimensional works featuring geometric figures.
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Courtesy Galerie Dorothea van der Koelen
Italy
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Galerie Dorothea van der Koelen
30 Lilies, relief object with Japanese and Nepal paper and gold leaf
“Paper has wonderful qualities: It is more resistant than canvas (if you look back on Leonardo da Vinci’s works); it was used to deliver messages and information throughout the centuries, in different countries and places,” says Bert, “so it is the base for intellectual transfer.”
Intellectual is one word Miles uses to describe Bert and her work—but also philosophical. The contrast between the delicate nature of her art and its deep, underlying meaning—its semblance to the human condition—is what intrigues Miles the most.
“I love the elegance and the fragility of her primary medium, handmade paper,” Miles says. “To use this to explore such multilayered and profound truths is refreshing and inspirational.”
Bert’s recent work—some of which will be featured in the upcoming St. Louis exhibit—reflects her blossoming love of Chinese signs and symbols. Like all of her work, it too reflects some universal truths.
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Galerie Dorothea van der Koelen
The artist Lore Bert
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Galerie Dorothea van der Koelen
Divisions, relief object with Japanese paper and gold leaf
“I became aware that from China not only came COVID,” Bert says, “but [from] the Chinese culture [comes] a base of scientific knowledge, beginning with the fabricating of paper in the 1st century BC, fundamental medicine achievements, and so on.”
Bert’s foray into art predates her studies at Berlin’s prestigious Academy of Fine Arts, and at 85 years old, she still manages to find inspiration all around her. It’s this open-for-interpretation nature of Bert’s work that Miles hopes will draw visitors to the exhibit. “I want people to recognize how this work can be enjoyed through various levels of interpretation—and to not only enjoy it but be inspired by it,” she says.
“Reflection/Inspiration” opens at Atrium Gallery September 17 and closes November 20. For more information, visit atriumgallery.net.
