Conquering Space 

Curator: Today we're looking at a painting by John Conrad Berkey called "Conquering Space," rendered with acrylics. What strikes you first? Editor: Oh, the sheer, unadulterated sense of wonder! It's like a cosmic ballet of futurism and raw, untamed energy. Makes me feel like I'm about to jump into a wormhole made of pure imagination. Curator: An apt description. Berkey, known for his science fiction art, employs a distinctive blend of geometric forms and vibrant Fauvist color. Notice how the geometric shapes aren't rigidly defined, but flow into one another, creating a sense of dynamic movement? Editor: Totally! The hard edges kinda melt into this soft, dreamlike state. Like the painting itself is a spaceship warping through spacetime. And that big blue planet just hangs there, indifferent to the chaos. Curator: The painting certainly toys with the notion of tension between the organic and inorganic. Note how the cityscapes and the futuristic forms, possibly spacecrafts, are interrupted with dynamic marks of paint—this seems to suggest the conquering of space may be destructive, or perhaps transformative. Editor: Absolutely, like tearing a hole in the canvas of reality, and light just explodes through the cracks. Also, that vertical shaft of yellow almost divides the entire thing, making me question where up and down even are. Curator: Indeed, this may suggest a break in structure and the start of a new structural integrity—as if the artist, through their own will, may reorganize the very fabric of reality. The semiotics are highly dependent on what theoretical stance you view them from. Editor: I dig it. For me, it just yells out "Adventure!" A mad, beautiful adventure into the great unknown. If that's not Berkey conquering space, I don't know what is. Curator: Well said. This painting really is a compelling exploration of texture and hue to convey the limitless potential that comes with the notion of "Conquering Space," wouldn't you agree? Editor: Without a doubt! And perhaps a wink and a nod from the artist suggesting it may not always be pretty. Thanks for bringing me down the rabbit hole.