Painting is a pastime that many forget about or simply choose not to engage in, but that wasn’t the case for David Berkowitz Chicago. At a young age, he quickly found a love for the craft and that love has carried on for decades, bringing Berkowitz to where he is today. Now a successful painter around the world, he has no plans of stopping putting colors on canvas and he hopes others will find their own interest in the craft through his work.
David Berkowitz Chicago attended the School of the Art Institute (SAIC). In 1969, Berkowitz discovered his affection for painting after a severe injury to his spine while playing football. While in recovery, he started to produce artwork. This is when he first felt the burning desire to create art.
In 1970, David Berkowitz Chicago joined the artist’s group, “Village.” Upon joining the group, it was obvious that he was different. Because of his unusual style, his artwork is unmistakable.
David Berkowitz Chicago explores ideas from his own youth and the current state of our natural environment. The urban community and modern abstraction are tied together in his one-of-a-kind mixed-media collages.
David’s memories from his youth inspire his art today. The ethereal landscape from his memory such as hazy banks, traveling up the legendary river, shacks on the floodplain, and the barns where he felt safe as a youngster. The hen houses where he talked with chickens as a young boy are also included in his distinctive paintings.
David Berkowitz Chicago paints the blissful moments in life. Whether he uses pastels or oil, the pieces that are produced are surreal. He takes everyday life and turns the landscape into something triumphant.
“It’s really beautiful once you get it done,” he explains. “It starts out and you may not be one hundred percent sure where it’s going, but that journey and the destination end up being so special.”
The farmland is something David Berkowitz Chicago is always surveying for inspiration. He grew up in these vast landscapes. Because of this, the plants and foliage appear in his works, and because of the open fields he grew up in, wild horses are often featured in his works. The wild horses are meant to watch over the sky and the farm. The wild horses also symbolize something spiritual for him and they have become the hallmark of his work.
David Berkowitz Chicago creates a connection between pop culture and grandeur. In the last few decades, he participated in more than three group exhibitions across Europe, North America, and Canada having about forty independent showings.
In the beginning, David Berkowitz Chicago’s paintings were not as popular. In retrospect. This is something to be grateful for. If he had sold his earlier paintings, he might not have been able to refine his artform. Now, he works on paintings that have already been sold which gives him more motivation.
“When painting becomes how you make a living it can be difficult,” he says. “By pre-selling, you have that peace of mind that not only are you getting paid, but somebody out there really appreciates your work and trusts you.”
With his paintings held in such high regard, David Berkowitz Chicago now sells his pieces at high prices. He wishes he could make them more affordable and accessible, but he also appreciates that his art has found such a dedicated following. He even received a lifetime reward from the Chicago Gallery of Artists for the 50th anniversary of his existence as an artist.
“Fifty years has flown by for me because I’ve gotten to do what I love,” Berkowitz says. “I don’t plan on stopping and it’d be great if somehow there was another 50 years that I could spend doing this.”
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