Phil Bergerson: Early Works
Untitled (Woman with two kids, paint on faces), Toronto, Ontario. 1971
© Phil Bergerson / courtesy Stephen Bulger Gallery
Written by Michelle O’Malley
Photo Edited by Christiana Nelson
In some sense, challenging ourselves to describe and deconstruct something in the most basic of forms is the only way to truly understand a subject. At least that’s what internationally renowned photographer Phil Bergerson thinks about his relationship with photography. Born in 1947 in Toronto, Canada, Bergerson has been photographing and exhibiting internationally for over 35 years, with his photobook, Shards of America, reaching critical acclaim and his most notable works recently on display at The Photography Show 2022 presented by the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD). Yet, before all his success in the photography world, Bergerson admits that as a young student and professor at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), he had to more closely examine the “building blocks” of a constructed image and discover what exactly a photograph was before he could truly launch his career in photography.
Utilizing as many mediums as he could, Bergerson’s early works, collectively named In Search of Meaning, are composed of film, paint, and words made from etch marks used to fill in negative spaces. Untitled (Screaming boy), Scarborough, Ontario (1970), features a monochrome film photograph of a young boy screaming as he stands between two windows perpendicular to one another. Encouraged by his pursuit of mastering all mediums, Bergerson placed this solarized Kodalith photograph over a metal plate and strategically placed red, yellow, blue, orange, and green painted lines directly above the boy’s head. Much of his earlier works follow this material style of solarized Kodalith over a metal plate in addition to the use of etch tools, paint, and repetition of images, Bergerson’s work reflecting his search for meaning behind photography.
Untitled (Screaming boy), Scarborough, Ontario. 1970
© Phil Bergerson / courtesy Stephen Bulger Gallery
Similarly, Untitled (Mother diptych: Jean with swath of light), Toronto, Ontario (1971) features a monochrome solarized Kodalith image placed over a metal plate, but this time the subject is Bergerson’s mother and there’s two of her, gazing directly into the camera from behind her antique glasses. A “swath of light” pours from an unseen source, washing over her face, creating a mesmerizing aura, the radical effects of lighting and repetition of an image showcased for all.
By exploring these “intrinsic characteristics” of images, Bergerson was able to form a much deeper understanding of the qualities that come together to construct a photograph; line, shape, and form are all key elements of print and image making.
Untitled (Mother dyptych, Jean with swath of light), Toronto, Ontario. 1971
© Phil Bergerson / courtesy Stephen Bulger Gallery
Untitled (Thelma in water, two layers). 1971
© Phil Bergerson / courtesy Stephen Bulger Gallery
Eventually transitioning to more straightforward forms of photography, Bergerson would move onto color photography and soon enough, his next “challenge” in the photography field, the “single picture,” wherein layers of rudimentary elements of an image lay hidden beneath the subject image. From what would eventually be featured in his successful photobook, Shards of America, Bergerson’s color photo, Springfield, Missouri [Welcome/Life] (1998), features a vintage curtained ticket booth window where a blue limelight “Welcome” sign shines from inside and directly above this window reads the word “Life” from atop what resembles a theater building. No monochrome solarized Kodalith, no metal plate, no added paint, no shadows or editing of negative spaces. This photo seems drastically different from Bergerson’s early In Search of Meaning. Though Springfield, Missouri is a single image, buried beneath this simplicity is the portrayal of the concept of being “welcomed to life,” which is expressed through the linearity and “straightforward” approach to the shot itself. We can’t help but acknowledge that mere lines, shapes, and forms brought Bergerson here, all his early meticulous attention to detail leading him to his mastery of photographic technique. This one singular photograph communicates so much with seemingly so little. Maybe this is the secret to photography: when a plethora of details and concepts come together to convey a deeper meaning in the most subtle of ways.
Untitled (Mother scratched with laundry)
© Phil Bergerson / courtesy Stephen Bulger Gallery
Untitled (Scratched veil between swings), Toronto, Ontario. 1972
© Phil Bergerson / courtesy Stephen Bulger Gallery
Phil Bergerson taught photography at Ryerson University from 1975 up until his retirement in 2005. He received the Sahota Award for excellence in teaching and research. Success and influence within photography circles in academia led Bergerson to establish “Kodak Lecture Series and Image Arts Lectures,” which became an annual, international event. Established in 1973, the series ran until 2007. The archived body of work is available through the library website of Toronto Metropolitan University. Bergerson also established the symposium “Canadian Perspectives: a National Conference on Canadian Photography,” and the first International Symposium on Photographic Theory. To learn more about Bergerson and his variety of photographic works, you can visit the Stephen Bulger Gallery in his hometown of Ontario as well as the Gallery’s website, bulgergallery.com. Bergerson also has a personal website, philipbergerson.ca.
