The Artist and the Gallerist: In Conversation with Siri Berg and Peter Hionas
by Lilia Ziamou
I recently had an in-depth and candid conversation with Siri Berg and Peter Hionas on their symbiotic relationship as an artist and a gallerist respectively. Siri Berg is a painter and her work spans over six decades. Peter Hionas is an entrepreneur and the owner and director of Hionas Gallery located in New York’s Lower East Side. Below are excerpts of our conversation.
Siri Berg on Siri Berg
I have been always interested in abstraction. For me, it was more intellectually demanding than realism. You have to think these things out. It is part of you. Color is a language, and very early on, I decided to express myself with color.
Earlier in my career, I needed a story to do it. For example, La Ronde series (1970-1972) is based on Reigen a play written by Arthur Schnitzler. This series is the story expressed in a totally minimal, abstract way. In the Kabballah series (1986-1988), again there is a story, but the colors are very subdued. I know that at the time I needed a story, but each series had a different process. I no longer need a story.
When we now look back at the process, it seems clear and it makes a lot of sense. But when I am working, it doesn’t seem to make sense to me. There is no easy answer. I think the creative process is totally unexplainable. You can only describe your creative process in a very limited way. I can talk about it but there is a limit in explaining how I created the work, what it means, and how I am putting it together. It may reflect my entire life, maybe it is a little bit of what I am doing now, what I did yesterday, ten or twenty years ago. When I paint, I lose today’s world, I am in another world, which is wonderful. This is how I would describe the creative process. Artists would understand that.
Peter Hionas on Siri Berg
I have known Siri for about 20 years and during these years I have been following her work and her process. Her first show at Hionas Gallery was in 2012. I’ve been fascinated by her work. Siri is expressing herself with color. Color is a language and it may take time to develop an understanding of it. Her work is about reduction and this becomes clear when you follow her process but also how her work has developed over time.
What is interesting about Siri is how systematic she has been in cataloguing her work. She has kept detailed records for the last 60 years and this has helped me to see things clearly. Most importantly, these meticulous records will provide audiences with important information and insights about her work. What is also fascinating about Siri is that at this point of her career she is as interested in her work as ever. Her enthusiasm and energy are unbelievable.
I feel very fortunate to work with Siri and have this special connection and trust. She educates me on her work and her process. Over the years, I learned about her language and understood her work on an intellectual level, so that I can share this information with curators, collectors, critics and the public.
