Striation Series

It started with a yearning to paint stripes. I was seeing them everywhere:  geological veins in the landscape, the undulating movement of sea kelp along the shore, striated muscle fiber in the body. I thought it was a new area of interest at first, but then I realized that striations had always been in my work, quietly in the background.
From the beginning of my painting career, I was aware that I would paint for many years in order to discover or uncover my essential vocabulary of shapes. For 25 years, striations and their variations have been a key constant in my work: like a soft whisper, almost imperceptible, quietly in the background.
With this body of work, I am bringing the striations into the foreground. After years of working in fabric, mixed media and acrylics, I decided to return to oils for this exploration: back to my original medium.
Striation Exploration is a meditation on boundaries, patterning, permeable and impermeable membranes, the juxtaposition of order and chaos. I have glimpsed at my basic vocabulary, with each canvas a peek at the subconscious patterns within: some calm and meditative, others chaotic and wild. It’s been a great journey and I invite you all to come on the exploration with me.

April Berger
San Francisco