User:Concepts by Jones/sandbox

The inspiring 86 year old painter

Can you imagine still doing what you love at the age of 86? Incredible, right! We all wish we could somehow still be passionate and in love with what we were put in the world for. I’m not talking about myself here; I wish! I’m talking about a painter, Bernard Bergman, I have learned to know for the past two months. Not only are his works amazing, but he also has stories for days! Not imaginable for someone who has lived such a long life. One of the stories he shared was how he possesses a piano painted by Salvador Dali himself! And guess what, this wasn’t the only thing he shared. He had lived such a rich life, and hardly anyone knows about it! Bernard isn’t your famous painter like Vincent van Gogh or Pablo Picasso. However, I believe he could have become one if he was a little less humble. He’s now at the end journey of his life, wanting to share a little of his legacy and inspire the next generation. While leaving a piece of him behind that his children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren can be proud of.

Here's a brief history of the painter Bernard.

He was born on July 14th, 1937, in Antwerp, Belgium. His parents were both immigrants; his mom was from Russia, and his dad was from Poland. The aftermath of the war had its toll on his parents, and his mom would pass away because of it.

From 1946 to 1962, Bernard would follow his passion and become a ladies' hairstylist. He trained with famous Parisian hairdressers and later opened his own salon, "Haute Coiffure Bernard," in Antwerp. At the same time, he started exploring painting, and some of his works were displayed in his salon.

Love would find him in 1957 when he met the love of his life, Gertruda Geamers. The loving couple would get married roughly nine years later and remain married to this day.

Bernard wasn’t only a creative but had the talents of business boiling up in him. He went on to tell me about his endeavors as a business owner of multiple companies from 1962 to 1973. As I sat across from him, listening to his stories, I quickly realized he was the type of person who couldn’t sit still.

A clear example of this is him finding 'BERCA AEROSOL,' a cosmetic factory specializing in developing hair spray cans. While in the same period experimenting with new painting techniques and, on top of that, entering the world of jukebox and slot machine production with his designs.

Being over half his age, I sat in admiration listening to his adventures and accomplishments. One which fascinated me extremely had to be his switch to fashion. In the period of 1973 and 1989, he would enter the fashion world, producing his collection for national and international markets. During this period, he would acquire Esders clothing stores in Brussels.

Alongside the fashion, Bernard co-founded the real estate agency 'IMMO BIB' with his daughter and son-in-law, Isabelle Bergman and Alain Strijbosch. All this happened in the late '80s; he undertook various projects both locally and internationally and even designed interiors. In the early '90s, he produced some films featuring international stars. How much can a man do, I wondered.

Though Bernard was involved in all these projects, he still hadn’t given up his love for the arts. He continued his painting experiments, creating techniques that, in his words, would "expand his artistic horizons."

His devotion to painting and experimentation would eventually pay off when, by accident, the (then) director of Sotheby's would visit his home in Antwerp with a friend about other matters. It so happened that all Bernard’s paintings were on his wall; being captivated by the used technique, Max Hemelraad would take a closer look and find out they were Bernard’s own.

Max insisted on having Bernard’s work on an exhibition, something he had never done before. See, until now, his work was only kept behind closed doors and gifted to friends and family on special occasions.

Max Hemelraad would get a green light from Bernard, and the duo would indeed have his work exhibited at Sotheby’s Amsterdam, which was unusual for an auction house. Normally, works are sold at an auction house, not exhibited. In Bernard's case, not only were his works exhibited, but he also insisted that his works shouldn’t be sold. Max Hemelraad speaks highly of his work, saying: "His art shows the crucial relationship between emotion and intellect, seeking to reconcile the concrete with the abstract, body with mind."

When asked about his work, Bernard is quite modest. His works seem like three-dimensional pieces of art, but they’re on a flat surface. I would say that the most significant pleasure in his work is the mystery of how it’s made. This is a secret I assume Bernard will take with him to his grave, but hopefully share with his grandchildren.

Besides his work being mysterious, you could say he is a contemporary artist who is specialized in abstract paintings. He speaks of being inspired by Greek, Russian, and Eastern iconography, like geometrical patterns found in Plato's philosophy. His paintings often focus on capturing light in a geometric field of colors, inviting viewers to experience the artwork alongside the artist.

Bernard explained, "I experiment with new processes and techniques, using both scientific and instinctive principles to create surprising expressions in art."

Bernard, still standing strong at the age of 86, is found daily in his studio, working on his God-given talent. At the end of our discussion, he was proud to announce his recent achievement. He was chosen to create a final artwork for UNICEF as a donation at the charity event. His face lit up as he explained his inspiration behind the artwork and the time it took him to make it.

His passion was contagious; it led me deeper in the hope to one day have such beautiful tales to tell.