Laura Berger

Body Language

- Gwynned Vitello

Laura Berger headed to the coasts of Costa Rica for her first great escape, and the shores still tug mightily. She’s a Midwestern gal, born and bred, a firmly centered one at that, but like the symphony of skyscrapers for which her hometown of Chicago is known, her figures are unique but dance in harmony. A background in theatrical performance informs the understanding that ensemble enhances the beauty of a solo, while her devotion to yoga is evident in the rangy bodies that curl up in contemplation or reach out and strive like her city’s skyline. As she readied for her show with Hashimoto Gallery In NYC this November 2020, I spoke to the painter, and sometime sculptor and animator, about her melodious, multi-fluent and timeless inhabitants who speak softly but sound out.

Gwynned Vitello: You paint men and women, but when I look at your pieces, I don’t really see a sexual identity. I guess I’d say I see humanity. Or maybe the gentler qualities ascribed to humankind? And, if not non-racial, certainly not blue-eyed and blonde. Am I way off-course? Laura Berger: I mostly paint women because that’s my perspective point, but the focus is intentionally not placed on the sexualization of the figure— it’s more about sensuality and comfort in the body and feeling. While feminism also plays a big, underlying role in my work, the themes aren’t exclusively centered around that. I’ve been using the figures as a way to explore our shared humanity, the unifying experiences that we share on emotional or spiritual planes. I’m thinking about things that are more existential and universal, so the characters are used as a representation of all of us, serving as a kind of template to work through these ideas.