Omni magazine cover 1992

Editor: This is John Berkey's cover art for Omni magazine, created in 1992, most likely using acrylic paint. It feels very dynamic, a kind of futuristic landscape. What catches your eye, what’s important in your interpretation of this painting? Curator: The interplay between the geometric and the organic forms is compelling. Notice the spaceship, its layered structure almost anthropomorphic, set against the implied chaos of the surrounding space. What do you make of the colour palette? Editor: There is a warm to cool transition... orange-yellow gives way to blues. A dynamic yet harmonic composition? Curator: Precisely. It's this tension between warm and cool, geometric and amorphous, that drives the piece. The eye is constantly moving, seeking resolution. The texture, built through visible brushstrokes, contributes to the sense of energy, even unrest. Does the impasto add anything in particular? Editor: Definitely. Impasto increases the sense of depth and tangibility, but it's all still paint so there is an estrangement. Do you think this makes a good cover art for a sci-fi magazine like Omni? Curator: The visual structure, the contrasting elements all point to the central object—the spacecraft—that commands the image. These are not elements of an actual machine. I argue this focus leads to a cohesive message that fits within the general Futurism movement. It provides just enough visual interest to lure the casual buyer. The texture especially guides us into the subject. Editor: I see what you mean about all those tensions at play in this piece. Curator: Yes, hopefully, these details are as illuminating to others as they are to you and me.