DOT BERGEN

I explore the restorative powers of nature. My art arises from the deep joy and gratitude I feel when I encounter aggregates of nature, such as a clump of lichen, a cloud of fireflies, or a pod of dolphins.

My advanced degrees in biology have given me a springboard to express these feelings. I build the sculptures with layers of encaustic-soaked and painted fabric to create illuminated works that evoke but do not replicate natural phenomena. They navigate scale, seeming at once cosmic and microscopic. A viewer might see a dwarf galaxy, strands of seaweed, or a dragonfly wing. My hope is that my pieces will engender a moment of self-transcendence—these feelings that we are part of something much larger than ourselves.

Through my work, I hope to remind us of what it means to be human and of what connects us rather than what separates us. It has long been known that a walk in nature is restorative; it can boost executive function, stimulate creativity, promote joy, and relieve anxiety and depression. I am interested in the question of why. A new field of science provides data to describe what happens inside the brain when we are immersed in nature.

As it turns out, the importance of a walk in nature lies not only in the specifics of what we see, hear, and smell, but in the fractal nature of these entities. A fractal, defined as the repetition of an entity at different scales, includes birdsong, the smell of wildflowers, and clusters of shrubs and trees. Being immersed in fractals for just twenty minutes—termed “fractal bathing”—can enable us to return to work and solve an elusive problem, calm ourselves after a bout of anxiety, or re-engage in the creative process.

From a visual standpoint, the edges of objects are of vast importance in fractal classification. I pay particular attention to edges in my sculptures. For me, the restorative power of nature lies in our ability to slow down and take notice. In order to benefit, we need to stop and smell the roses.

AWARDS

First Place
Bristol Art Museum, Member Exhibition, Bristol RI

First Place
Gallery X, South Coast Artists Member Exhibition, New Bedford, MA

First Place
Online Contest, South Coast Artists Tour Competition.

Merit Award
Attleborough Arts Museum, Member Exhibition, Attleborough, MA

Honorable Mention
Imago Foundation for the Arts, The Big Show, Warren, RI

First Place
Westport Art Group, Hot and Cold Exhibit, Westport, MA