Todd Bernave    Images | Bio

Education

1993 Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, Maryland
Bachelor of Fine Art, Summa Cum Laude
Drawing & Photography
1986-1989 Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington
Liberal Arts Studies


Solo Exhibitions

2006 Cafe Lulu, Seattle, Washington
2006 Keller Rohrback LLP, Seattle, Washington
1997 American Institute of Architects, Baltimore, Maryland
1996 Gomez Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland, January
1994 School 33 Art Center, Baltimore, Maryland
1994 Gomez Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland


Group Exhibitions

2008 Gallery IMA, Seattle, Washington
2008 ArtsWest, Seattle, Washington
2008 Centennial Center Gallery, Kent, Washington
2007 Phinney Center Gallery, Seattle, Washington
2004 Distefano Winery, Woodinville, Washington
2003 Carnegie Art Center, Walla Walla, Washington
2002 D’Adamo/Woltz Gallery, Seattle, Washington
1995 Resergum Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland
1995 Art Maryland ’95, Baltimore, Maryland
1994 BAUhouse Fourth Annual BEAMS, Howard County Center for the Arts
1993 Gomez Gallery, Baltimore, Marylan


Honors & Awards

2008 City Art Exhibit Award, Kent Summer Art Exhibition, Seattle, Washington
2007 Jurors’ Top Pick, Greenwood/Phinney Artwalk,Seattle, Washington           
(Jurors: Phen Huang, Director of Foster/White Gallery Margie Livingston, Artist and Instructor at Gage Academy of Art, Deborah Paine, Curator and Collections Manager, City of Seattle, Office of Arts and Culture)
1993 Shipley’s of Maryland Award, Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, Maryland


Selected Collections

Sandra Dalsheimer, Baltimore, Maryland
W.B. Doner International, London, England
Lockheed Martin, Maryland
Lucas/Magowin, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 


Artist Statement

I am drawn to the surfaces that are layered in the shifting deposits of both man and nature.  Synthetic, organic, quietly decaying and saturated with the remnants of human contact; these marks build a rich landscape on the surfaces of everyday items. We find them on our urban infrastructure, architectural facades, automobiles, interior spaces, posters and publications. They alter the visual and tactile characteristics of everything constructed, transforming them into something less certain. Regardless of the original intent or purpose of an object; the qualities imposed by time, nature, and ourselves fundamentally change the existing surface into something subtle and approachable. We identify and react to its politics, we marvel at the complexity of chance and decay; and like our own skin, a history can be gleaned from its transformation.

My work explores the uncertainty of a surface and its state of transition as an object surrenders to its environment.  My pieces search for an intersection where diverse elements meet, the quiet interaction of images that are natural/organic and those that are deliberate/symbolic. These elements, and my continual drive to interact with our contemporary visual landscape, represent the underlying focus of my work. My objective is to explore the boundaries of the painted surface while engaging the environment that surrounds me.