Simon Berson | Surrealist Experiment in Perception

Surrealist Experiment in Perception
by Simon Berson

“My work invites viewers into an otherworldly scene where the boundaries between technology and organic life are playfully blurred. The artwork exudes a sense of fantastical machinery, evoking thoughts of alternate realities where biology and technology are indistinguishably fused. It could be interpreted as a visual metaphor for the complex interplay between nature and human technology, or simply enjoyed as an aesthetically engaging and thought-provoking piece.”
– Simon Berson

I have developed a distinct approach that merges abstract and surrealistic aspects that appear to sit at the intersection of the mechanical and organic, creating pieces that stimulate the observer’s imagination and creativity. The compositions inspire close scrutiny, encouraging viewers to delve into the pieces and decipher the multitude of forms and symbols. There’s a journey to be conducted within the pieces and within the layers of mechanical parts and organic elements, weaving an intricate and fantastical visual narrative. The interplay between biological and mechanical components is a kind of dreamscape where the synthetic melds seamlessly with the natural. My unique artistic voice that emerges from the works is one of investigating curiosity–a journey into the exploration of form and function as it pivots between the boundaries of biology and technology. 

“There’s a journey to be conducted within the pieces and within the layers of mechanical parts and organic elements, weaving an intricate and fantastical visual narrative.”

Simon Berson

Simon Berson was born in New York City—a metropolis whose ceaseless rhythms and visual noise would one day echo through the strange, intricate forms populating his work. Growing up in Washington Heights, Berson’s affinity for art as a way of seeing and questioning the world was nurtured early. Like an artist in the making, he found himself compelled to cut classes as a student, sneaking downtown to roam the grand halls of Manhattan’s art museums. This early act of defiance was not rebellion for its own sake; it was a test of belonging, a searching for resonance in surreal visions and abstract forms far removed from the ordinary fabric of daily life.

Creativity, it seems, ran in the family—Berson’s mother was a pastel portraitist, and this gentle familial influence cast a light over his own early explorations. Yet rather than follow a traditional artistic trajectory, Berson’s path wound through less expected territories. Upon finishing high school, he enlisted in the United States Air Force, a journey whose discipline and technicality would later inform both his aesthetics and process. It was only afterward, returning to civilian life, that Berson fully committed to art, earning his BA Magna cum Laude from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1976.

Berson’s visual vocabulary is rooted in the dream logic of the Surrealists, drawing inspiration from figures like Yves Tanguy, Marcel Duchamp, and Louise Nevelson. Yet, his own work transcends homage; instead, each piece emerges as an “experiment in perception,” void of fixed subject, inviting viewers to author their own stories. Berson’s process—part play, part puzzle—begins as a series of organic, invented shapes, which are drawn, cut out, and arranged into a kind of spatial improvisation. His technique, uniquely, was shaped by practical concerns: an early girlfriend disliked the pungent smell of oil paint, prompting a switch to colored pencils, materials that now lend his collages their signature vibrancy and intimacy.

Berson’s art is distinctive for its resistance to memory: these are images that elude capture, seeming unfamiliar each time they are seen. Shapes and colors morph with every glance, inviting new interpretations and visual journeys. Critics note how Berson sculpts his surreal forms through playful contrasts—juxtaposing technical images of glass, metal, and plastic, gleaned from machinery manuals, with his own warm, organic colored pencil inventions. Each collage is part technical improvisation, part poetic exploration, coaxing out “some underlying reality.” Viewers report a sensation of satisfaction and delight in this intellectual playground: humor, visual dynamism, and sly allusions to art history, film, and technology abound, rewarding the attentive observer.

Berson’s work has been shown widely, from New York’s Atlantic Gallery and the Cooper-Finn Gallery in Millbrook, to the Lois Lambert Gallery in Santa Monica and Zurich’s Art Walk. His assemblages have traveled to Madrid, London, Annapolis, Las Vegas, Vancouver, and Kennebunkport, marking his presence on both the national and international art scenes. Among his accolades is an honorable mention from the Circle Foundation for the Arts, recognition that stands as testament to a singular and evolving vision.

“Shapes and colours morph with every glance, inviting new interpretations and visual journeys. Each collage is part technical improvisation, part poetic exploration, coaxing out “some underlying reality.”

Though he is not part of any formal artist organizations, Berson brings the same curiosity and technical skill to other aspects of his life. For nearly four decades, he worked as a technical trainer, writer, and illustrator, passionately involved in the electronics and photonics fields whose precision and elegance echo through his artistic practice.
Simon Berson is a restless experimenter, a patient assembler of dreams.
His commitment to art remains steadfast; he describes his ongoing creative pursuit as an obsession to be explored “for at least another 10 years.” His work resists easy definition, instead feeding the imagination, encouraging contemplation, and reminding us that art’s truest impact lies far beyond the canvas, in the ever-evolving theatre of perception.

“I have developed a distinct approach that merges abstract and surrealistic aspects that appear to sit at the intersection of the mechanical and organic, creating pieces that stimulate the observer’s imagination and creativity.”

Email: ferrari.berson@gmail.com
Website: www.simonberson.com
Instagram.com: @bersonsimon