"New Line Continued" 2018
Oil on canvas
77' x 101' inches / 196 x 257 cm
Roberto Bernardi
Italian-born artist Roberto Bernardi describes his work as hyperrealism, a meticulous branch of painting closely related to photorealism. Bernardi is an expert in painting still lifes of chrome, plastic, glass and candy - glossy textured objects that generally don’t lend themselves to being captured realistically in oil on canvas.
What makes Bernardi’s work interesting is his ability to elevate the mundane to the fantastical through intricate attention to detail, giving “weight and depth to translucent objects, creating drama in the overlapping forms and infinite reflections that they create,” as Coded noted. There’s no schmaltzy retro filter applied, just an exacting eye for the interplay between textures and colours.
But the physical presence of the objects is just part of the intrigue. The juxtaposition of clutter and order, the organic and inorganic, become comments on postmodern life and the technology that facilitates it.
Solo Exhibitions
2016 Candyland, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
2014 Candy Paintings, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
2012 Caramelle, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
2011 Candy Paintings, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
2009 Beijing project, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Glass FX, Art of Glass 2, The Hermitage Museum and Gardens, Norfolk (U.S.A.)
2007 Dirty Plates, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
2005 Giardini di Cristallo, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
2004 Spazi Infiniti, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Albermarle Gallery, London, England
2002 Robert Kidd Gallery, Detroit, MI (U.S.A.)
2000 Galerie De Castiglione, Paris, France
Palazzo delle, Perugia, Italy
1995 Umbria Jazz, Perugia, Italy
Group Exhibitions
2020 Rarity Gallery, Greece
2016 Feast for the Eyes, Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, New York
Photorealism. 50 years of Hyperrealistic painting, Musée d'Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium
Art Miami New York Pier 94, "Roberto Bernardi and Mel Ramos", May 3 - 8, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Photorealism. 50 years of Hyperrealistic painting, Kumu - Art Museum of Estonia, Tallinn, Estonia
Photorealism. 50 years of Hyperrealistic painting, Osthaus Museum Hagen, Hagen, Germany
Realisme Amsterdam Art Fair, Mark Peet Visser Gallery, Netherlands
2015 Photorealism. 50 years of Hyperrealistic painting, Museo de Bellas Ares de Bilbao, Bilbao, Spain
True Colors, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Art Miami, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Candyland, Opera Gallery, Hong Kong, China
Summer Group Exhibition, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
2014 Contemporary Realism Biennial, Fort Wayne Museum of Art
Photorealism: The Sydney and Walfa Besthoff Collection, NOMA, New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans (U.S.A.)
Context Art Miami 2014, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Photorealism, The Everyday Illuminated, Jonathan Novak Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, California (U.S.A.)
Art Silicon Valley, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
2013 Photorealism. 50 years of Hyperrealistic painting, Thyssen - Bornemisza Museum, Madrid, Spain
Photorealism. 50 years of Hyperrealistic painting, Saarland Museum, Saarbrucken, Germany
Photorealism. 50 years of Hyperrealistic painting, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham, England
Photorealism Revisited, OKCMOA - Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklaoma City (U.S.A.)
The Butler Institute Of American Art, Howland Township, Ohio (U.S.A.)
2012 Hyperrealism, Galerie Sho Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan
Photorealism, Galerie De Bellefeuille, Montreal, Canada
Photorealism. 50 years of Hyperrealistic painting, Tübingen Museum, Tübingen, Germany
All Inn, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Palm Springs Art Fair, Imago Galleries (U.S.A.)
Palm Springs Art Fair, Scott Richards Contemporary Art (U.S.A.)
2011 Stand Still, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Eileen S. Kaminsky Family Foundation at MANA Art Center, Jersey City, (U.S.A.)
Real: Realism and Diverse Media, Imago Galleries, Palm Desert, (U.S.A.)
What kind of real ?, Albemarle Gallery, London
2010 Sweet tooth, Scott Richards Contemporary Art, San Francisco (U.S.A.)
Grand opening 2010, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Real(ists), Selby Gallery – Ringling Collage of Art and Design, Sarasota (U.S.A.)
Art Hamptons, Louis K. Meisel Gallery (U.S.A.)
2009 Summer Views: Gallery Artists & Invitational, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Small Paintings from Around the World, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York
40 Years of photorealism, Louis K. Meisel Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Photorealist paintings, Arthur M. Berger Gallery, Manhattanville college, New York (U.S.A.)
2008 Unforeseen Reflections, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Arte contemporanea per i rifugiati, seventh edition, Sotheby's, Milan, Italy
SPF 20 - Shades of Summer, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Arte contemporanea per i rifugiati, seventh edition, Sotheby's, Rome, Italy
Monaco 2008, Prince Fine Arts, Monte Carlo, Monaco
Art Chicago 2008, Louis K. Meisel Gallery, Chicago (U.S.A.)
2007 Arte Contemporanea per I Rifugiati, Musei Capitolini, Rome, Italy
Culinary Arts, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Structure, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Iperrealisti, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Arte Contemporanea per I Rifugiati, UNHCR, Christies, Milan, Italy
Art Twenty, New York Art Fair, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Group Show, Albemarle Gallery, London (England)
2006 Summer Suite, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Three Person Show, Albemarle Gallery, London
Contemporary Realism 2006, M.A. Doran Gallery, Tusla, OK (U.S.A.)
Winter Reflections, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Art Miami, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
10th Anniversary, Albemarle Gallery, London (England)
2005 Re-presenting Realism VII, Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, NY (U.S.A.)
New Photorealists, Elaine Baker Gallery, Boca Raton, FL (U.S.A.)
What is Realism?, Albemarle Gallery, London, curated by Edward Lucie - Smith
Cars and Ketchup: Photorealist Images of the American Landscape, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art,
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (U.S.A.)
Personal Places, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Winter in Blue, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
2004 New American Realism, Tony Brunelli Fine Art, Binghamton, NY (U.S.A.)
The Big Picture, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Vertical Arrangements, Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Seeing is Believing: American Trompe L’oeil, New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT (U.S.A.)
Summer is..., Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
New Photorealists, Louis K. Meisel Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Blow Up, St. Paul’s Gallery, Birmingham, England
Summer show, Albemarle Gallery, London, England
David Klein Gallery, Birmingham - Detroit (U.S.A.)
Art London, Albemarle Gallery, London, England
2003 Albemarle Gallery, London, England
Painting Glass, Bernarducci Meisel Gallery, New York (U.S.A.)
Albemarle Gallery, London, England
Art Chicago, Bernarducci Meisel Gallery, Chicago, IL (U.S.A.)
2002 Albemarle Gallery, London, Eng land
Paisley Tyler & Co., London, England
Robert Kidd Gallery, Detroit, MI (U.S.A.)
2001 Albemarle Gallery, London, England
Robert Kidd Gallery, Detroit, MI (U.S.A.)
Albemarle Gallery, London, England
2000 M.F.F. Galerie, Nice, France
Galerie Rocha, Barbizon, France
Alexander of Florence Gallery, San Francisco, CA (U.S.A.)
Galleria Ortarte, Novara, Italy
Albemarle Gallery, London, England
Galleria Questarte, Fiera d'Arte Contemporanea, Innsbruk, Austria
1999 M.F.F. Galerie, Nice, France
Galerie Rocha, Barbizon, France
Alexander of Florence Gallery, San Francisco, CA (U.S.A.)
Galleria Ortarte, Novara, Italy
Galleria Questarte, Villa Farsetti, Venice, Italy
1998 Galerie Rocha, Barbizon, France
Galleria Fidesarte 16 Asta, Venice, Italy
Galleria Ortarte, Novara, Italy
Galleria Fidesarte 17 Asta, Venice, Italy
Galleria Got, Paris, France
Alexander of Florence Gallery, San Francisco, CA (U.S.A.)
Galleria Artesegno, Mostra Mercato d'Arte Contemporanea,"Arte Padova 1998", Padova, Italy
1997 Centro Espositivo Hotel, "La Rosetta", Perugia, Italy
Palazzo Comunale, Perugia, Italy
National Museum of Fine Arts, La Valletta, Malta
Galleria Arearte, Ancona, Italy
1997 Galleria Artesegno, Udine, Italy
Gallerie le Miroir des Maitres, Geneva, Switzerland
1996 Centro Espositivo Hotel, "Fonte Cesia", Perugia, Italy
"Grande percorso artistico", Perugia, Italy
Palazzo Comunale, "Todi Festival", Perugia, Italy
1995 Palazzo Pietromarchi, Perugia, Italy
Mostra Mercato d'Arte Antica e Moderna, Terni, Italy
Bibliography
2016 The Artist Forum, Saints & Sinners/Bernardi by Michael Goldstein, March 06
Sweet Treats, American Art Collector, March 2016, pag 102-103
Sugar Castles, Arttrade.TV, 27 Feb 2016
Work of the Day, Art New York, 25 Feb 2016
The Sounthhamptom Review, Real, Yet More than Real by Ana Daniel, volume X, Winter/Spring 2016 pag. 95 and 98
2015 Sugar and Sweets, by D. Goldstein, Oxford University Press Editions, pag 535
Repubblica.it, Il vestito di Beuys, 22-0 -2015 by Carlo Alberto Bucci
Candyland, by Gilles Dyan and Shirley Yablonsky, exhibition catalogue, Opera Gallery
Eldiario.es, La exposición 'Hiperrealismo 1967-2013 del Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao concluye el próximo día 19 by Europa Press Bilbao, 07-01- 2015
Hipescience.com "Hiper-realismo:11 artistas que vao deixar voce de queixo caido" 03-12-15
SociArt Network, "una coppia iperrealista. Spence e Bernardi" by D. Marcatajo 05-08-15
Revista Indie, Hiperrealismo.1967-2012, by Sara Fernandez
2014 Photorealism in the Digital Age, Abrams Editions, Back Cover and pag. from 51to 58
Seven Bridges Volume 2, 2008-2013, Seven Bridges Editions, pag 93
Photorealism: Beginnings to Today, by Miranda Lash, Louis K. Meisel, and Russell Lord
Daily Mail, Mail on Line, 14 January 2014, "Everything including the kitchen sink: Artist creates incredibly...."
Artdaily.org, 9 November 2014, "New Paintings By Roberto Bernardi and Raphaella Spence at Bernarducci.Meisel.Gallery"
Abitare(Corriere della Sera), 3 March," I maestri del Fotorealismo a Birmingham"
VIP (Romanian Edition), 17 May, "Lumea banului si elita artei mondiale"
Antena 3 Spain, 14 January 2014, "Un artista italiano convierte los articulos mas cotinianos en pinturas Hiperrealistas"
20 Minutos” El Museo Bellas Artes de Bilbao acoge una retrospectiva con 68 obras emblemáticas del movimiento hiperrealista”, by Europa Press Bilbao 07 Oct 2014
2013 Hatje Cantz Verlag, Neuerscheinungen, Hatje Cantz Editions, Front and Back Cover and pag 28-29
Huffington Post, 17 January 2013, "Roberto Bernardi Hyperrealist paintings: Amazing Still Life of Chrome, Plastic, Candy.."
El Mundo, 22 March 2013, "Del Arte Extremo de Copiar", pag 45
Finanzas.com, 12 May 2013 "50 anos de Hiperrealismo. Esto no es una foto"
El Confidencial, 22 March 2013, " El espectaculo Hiperrealista esegura la taquilla al Thyssen"
Radio Madrid, 21 March 2013, "El hiperrealismo pictorico ilega al Museo Thyssen"
Revista de Arte, 21 March 2013, "El Impactante Hiperrealismo americano y europeo en el Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza"
El Imparcial, 30 March 2013, " Museo Thyssen: Hiperrealismo"
Republica.com, 10 March 2013, "El Thyssen organiza la primera gran antologica sobre el Hiperrealismo"
Tele Madrid, 22 March 2013, "Hiperrealismo en el Thyssen"
Unicom blog(Confindustria), 24 March 2013," In mostra a Madrid la pittura iperrealista"
El Confidencial, 21 March 2013, " La Magica confusion del hiperrealismo, en el Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza"
ABC.es Cultura, 22 March 2013,"La realidad supera a la realidad en el Museo Thyssen"
Il sole 24 ore, 22 March 2013, " Più vero del vero, la pittura iperrealista in mostra a Madrid"
Schwabishes Tablatt, 9 January 2013, "Im Blickfang"
Purple clover.com, 10 Dec 2013, " The New Masters"
2012 Fotorealismus, 50 Jahre Hyperrealistiche Malerei, European Museum Tour catalogue, Hatje Cantz Editions
Artdaily.org, New painting by Roberto Bernardi and new cityscapes by Raphaella Spence, October 18
The New York Observer, pag. b 22, October
Blouin Art Info, by Chloe Wyma, October 18
American Art Collector, Seeking complexity, pag 106-107, October 2012