Marie Bernard
Marie Bernard is a collaboration between designer Masja van Deursen and artist Serge Game that started in 2017. Taking their separate professional practices as a starting point they explore their shared passion for the tactile use of color and material. Their approach is very intuitive, leaving room for both abstract and more figurative results. Usually, without a preconceived plan, they start working with scissors and paper, looking for fascinating shapes and compositions.
Very important are the gaps and imperfect overlaps, a direct result of this method, which benefits the visual tension of the collages. These small “flaws”, which can be found in all of Marie Bernard’s work, testify to the analogous basis of their collaboration, and underline their belief that in order for the work to truly resonate with the viewer, an intuitive and organic working methods has to be embraced.
Soon after the start of their collaboration, Marie Bernard decided to produce a selection of their paper collages in plywood reliefs. During the translation from paper to wood, careful attention was paid to the process of layering the different forms. In order to do justice to the quality of the paper collage as well as to guarantee the self-evident physical presence of the wooden work. After this translation, colors are determined and mixed after which all shapes are painted by hand. Their process guarantees the highest possible color saturation and luminescence while the woodgrain always remains visible.
In late 2021 and early 2022, Marie Bernard developed a number of sculptural works. These works are still based on the shapes found in the collages. By literally making these flat shapes thicker and much larger and providing them with a balanced color palette, a group of sculptures was created that do not deny their origins and also exude great sensitivity.
As of mid 2023 Marie Bernard began exploring their themes on canvas.
Both fascinated by painting and Serge a painter himself since the beginning of his career, they embarked on a journey which combines their love for powerful yet simple compositions, radiant colours and a deliberate handling of paint and pastels.
Before starting a new painting they tend to make several collage studies.
So also here they stay true to the paper origins of their collaboration, with traces of clipping and cutting permeating these works.
