Fresh A.I.R. Gallery discusses bipolar disorder in new exhibit ‘Putting It All Together and Waiting for Calm’

Frances Denman, Molly Goheen
Tue, 21 Mar 2023 23:37:43 +0000
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Paintings by Meira Berger on display in her solo exhibition “Putting It All Together and Waiting for Calm” at Fresh A.I.R Gallery. Credit: Frances Denman | Lantern Reporter

Highlighting her journey battling bipolar II disorder, local artist Meira Berger displays her collection “Putting It All Together and Waiting for Calm” at Fresh A.I.R. Gallery until March 26.

Fresh A.I.R. Gallery, located in the Franklinton Arts District at 289 W. Walnut St., is known for its exhibitions by artists recovering from mental health disabilities and disorders and seeks to break down stigmas surrounding mental illness. “Putting It All Together and Waiting for Calm” is an abstract collection of swirling colored pencil, acrylic, pastel and oil paintings symbolizing Berger’s experience living with the highs and lows of bipolar disorder, Berger and Gallery Manager Marsha Mack said.

“A lot of these circles that I did, for me it was just the daily life of just little by little and how that builds on something — even if it’s just the boring things you do — but it just creates a bigger picture,” Berger said. “It was so hard to touch on those feelings.”

With a twisting blend of dark and light circles, Berger said pieces in “Putting It All Together and Waiting for Calm” are a narrative of where she’s been and where she’s going with an emphasis on the meaning of her color choices.

“It’s really a story about color, about just really bursting with energy that I feel with color and how colors make me feel,” Berger said. “I think, in a way, it’s kind of to myself. Not everyone will understand because it’s very personal.”

Berger said intertwining swirls of cool and warm-toned colors represent her contradicting feelings of hope and darkness. By doing everyday things, like going to work or taking care of her son, Berger said she made progress in combating her mental illness.

“When you’re really struggling, you can’t really see the other side, and you just feel like you’re on something that’s not solid,” Berger said. “The circle was actually just me, every day, doing a little bit.”

Comparing painting to a form of exercise, Berger said creating the pieces in her exhibition meant working through emotions and overcoming struggles. This was how she survived, persevered and healed from the challenges with bipolar disorder, Berger said.

“A lot of the pieces are just that — going through difficulties, going through a disease that takes away from you, struggling with daily things or things we take for granted — it’s very hard for me,” Berger said. “I think part of it is when you have a mental illness, it kind of holds you back, and when you create art, you’re free. So, it’s really just therapy for me.”

Berger said when she paints, it’s like a puzzle she can solve with color — something tangible she can use to express herself and connect with others with whom her work resonates.
Mack said she couldn’t be happier with Berger’s exhibition, and her use of color and lines drew her in immediately during the application process. All artists in Fresh A.I.R. must apply for selection.

“I would describe Meira’s exhibition ‘Putting It All Together and Waiting for Calm’ as impactful, full of depth and powerful,” Mack said. “All of the colors are so powerful and deep, and there’s such a succinct quality with some of the imagery, the repeating motifs. I think it’s really grounded in the personal and speaks this really eloquent language of abstraction.”

Mack said she appreciates the underlying and potent messages in Berger’s work because they can speak to anyone. Up close, you can see the time and focus Berger put into the paintings in the collection, Mack said.

“There’s things that look like lights, like suns rising or like daybreak, things that feel like hope, and this is all done through color and shape and line,” Mack said. “I think this work affects me in being able to connect with Meira and connect with something greater that I think we all share.”

“Putting It All Together and Waiting for Calm” is different from other shows hosted at Fresh A.I.R. Gallery because of its introspection and the way Berger consistently brings the conversation back to the individual, Mack said. Berger shows that the individual’s world differs from the exterior world, Mack said.

“This show is a must-see because it has really something about the human spirit that is important,” Mack said. “It’s about that kind of hope and perseverance that we need now more than ever.”

Berger said she aspires to spread mental health awareness and bring attention to available resources, like Fresh A.I.R. Gallery, for others who may be struggling. Additionally, she hopes exhibition visitors can interact with her and her work.

“Hopefully, this art is not just what it looks like but is also meaningful to someone else,” Berger said. “I would love if someone connected with a piece or it maybe inspired them.”

Mack said she believes “Putting It All Together and Waiting for Calm” is impactful in how it inspires meaningful relationships between the artwork, visitors and Berger.

“My favorite part about this show is just the way that Meira’s been able to express her interior experience with her life, with her story, with her mental illness and then bring it into this entry point that we all really understand and can connect to,” Mack said. “It’s not something that you need any special knowledge to understand or to really feel.”

“Putting It All Together and Waiting for Calm” will be displayed at SEEN Studios, located at 289 W. Walnut St., through March 26, according to Fresh A.I.R’s website. Guests can visit the exhibition by booking an appointment with Fresh A.I.R. Gallery at (614) 744-8110