John Berger

The origin of my pathology

Things that crawl, bite, squirm, slither and cause serious harm; those are the things I dream about. Snakes, lizards, carnivorous mammals, birds, and insects with large mandibles are the most amazing organisms in my surreal world. As a child I was lifting rocks, digging through the mud - indulging in the fascinating world of nature, meticulously studying any and all small cantankerous animals I could turn up. With age I continued my obsession by studying the very creatures I had become so familiar with. My passion for these animals progressed into art - visions began to ooze out of the deep, dark recesses of my brain and that's how my characters began to take form. Deconstructed from their original appearance, these organisms morph and take on a new identity full of color and emotion. The physiology that used to separate these creatures becomes less distinct. Soon it will become difficult to discern which animal originally flew, swam or crawled, but one thing is certain - all will most likely continue to bite, I hope!

Selected Exhibitions

2008                   

                 Veni Veti Veci, Club 6,  San Francisco CA

Sara Jane Show @ Sara Jane's, Sacramento, CA

Kitschen Sync, La Luz de Jesus, Los Angeles, CA

                        American Gladiators, Lower Haters, San Francisco, CA.

                        Curious Band of Artists, Brick House Gallery, Sacramento, CA

                        Robot Hive, Stained Skin, Columbus, OH

                        Artists I Know, Gallery X, Sacramento, CA

                        Animal Crackers, Pence Gallery, Davis, CA

                    Veni Veti Veci, Club 6, San Francisco CA

                      If your name Begins with a J, Bichin' Space, Sacramento, CA

                        Six Feet Under, Stained Skin, Columbus, OH                                                         

           2007   The Thread Show, San Francisco Galleria, San Francisco. CA

                       University Art, Sacramento, CA

                       Cannibal Flower, Infusion Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

                       Girls and Ghouls, Toy Room, Sacramento, CA

                       Suite Jesus, 111 Minna, San Francisco, CA

                       Artists That I Know, Studio X, Sacramento, CA

                       Holiday Market, Pence Gallery, Davis, CA

                       Pence Gallery, Art Auction, Davis, CA

                       Tales from the Pond, Super 7, San Francisco, CA

                       Puddle of Art, Izzy Van Go, Sacramento, CA

                       Circus Show, Bitchin' Space, Sacramento, CA

                       Crocker Art Museum Auction, Sacramento, CA

                       Cryptozoolgy, 1156 Voice Gallery, San Diego, CA

                       Collabro, The Showroom, New York, NY

                       A Spongy Manipulation of Natural History, Art 6, Richmond VA

                       Kitschen Sync, La Luz de Jesus, Los Angeles, CA

                       Aves Show, Body Tribe, Sacramento CA

                      Collaborative Show/ Andre Salcido & Kevin Earl Taylor, Bitchin Space,

                     Sacramento, CA

                     Don't Say Motherfucker..., MF Gallery, New York, NY

2006            What Went Wrong, LO-Fi Customs, San Francisco, CA

              Baker's Dozen, Tower Gallery, Sacramento, CA

                Whales and Helicopters, Deep, Sacramento, CA

                Run Like Hell, Lo-Fi Customs, San Francisco, Ca

               Collabro, Anno Domini, San Jose, CA

             Uplifting Vengeance Tour, Rx Gallery, San Francisco, CA

              Collabro, Subject Matter Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA

             Pence Art Gallery Auction, Davis, CA

            Crocker Art Museum Auction, Sacramento, CA

            SoToDo, Gallery Horse Cow, Sacramento, CA

            F***ed Up Fairy Tales, Toy Room Gallery, Sacramento, CA

           Visual Character, Center for Contemporary Art, Sacramento, CA

           Aves Show, Body Tribe, Sacramento, CA

2005             Eye Candy, American River College, Sacramento, CA

           Dead Man's Party, Hope Gallery, New Haven, CT

           Worst Case Scenario, 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco, CA

           Thing You Shouldn't Loose, Tower Gallery, Sacramento, CA

           Small Treasures, Tower Gallery, Sacramento, CA

          Marshmallow Land, Toy Room Gallery, Sacramento, CA

2004    Practical Advice for the Lovelorn, with Stephanie Skalisky, Solomon Dubnick,
           Sacramento, CA

           Tokyo Monster Show, Shooting Gallery, San Francisco, CA

           595, Toy Room Gallery, Sacramento, CA

2003            Western Sci-Fi, Minna Gallery, San Francisco, CA

          Cowtown, Group show, Center for Contemporary Arts, Sacramento, CA
          Lawn and Garden, with Pete Bettencourt, Toy Room Gallery, Sacramento, CA

  2002             John S. Berger, Toy Room Gallery, Sacramento, CA

               Where it All Comes From, Soloman Dubnick, Sacramento, CA

               New in 2002, Soloman Dubnick, Sacramento, CA

              Phobia Show, Gallery Horse Cow, Sacramento, CA

              Art in a Cage, Pence Gallery, Davis, CA

2001            Group Show, Gallery Horse Cow, Sacramento, CA

                        A View of Ceramics, with Laura Benniger, UCD, Davis, CA

                        Predator, East Bay Vivarium, Berkeley, CA

   2000             SOTODO, 72 Hour Art Congress, Phantom Galleries, Sacramento, CA

                        The Best of the Capital, Limn Gallery, San Francisco, CA

                        Ride and Derailment, Michael Himovitz Gallery, Sacramento, CA

                        Altares Del Mundo, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Comission

                        Exquisite Corpse, The Art Foundry, Sacramento, CA

     1999            Altares Del Mundo, Phantom Galleries, Sacramento, CA

                        Visual Conversations, Group exhibition, Big Art, Sacramento, CA

                        Selected Works with Carol Benioff, Coyote Gallery, Oroville, CA

                        CSUS 50th Anniversary Alumni Show, CSUS, Sacramento, CA