Dennis Bertram

David Bertram is a painter who used imaginary architectural structures--"skyships"--to describe the complexity of living and the difficulties of positive decision-making. "The decisions we make are bedeviled by insufficient, erroneous and irrelevant information and our actions fraught with pitfalls. Much is beyond our control. Others have agendas in conflict with our own. My paintings’ imagery – multivarious, imaginative structures resembling houses and churches set in a psychic space – serves this idea well as it is people who create and inhabit these structures who must navigate the complexities of their daily decisions. The structures are the alphabet of an idiosyncratic language by which I explore the trajectories of people’s complicated lives." (David Bertram)

His paintings utilize symbolic language to express different sentiments in his work. "Inept decisions made “on the fly” inspired the “flying” series where structures break apart. Flowers' and life's transience are reflected in the "bouquet" paintings. Life as a journey is represented in many paintings as the structures travel through a mystical space." (David Bertram) His paintings are continually evolving, and encorporating new symbolism, such as maps and figures, to represent his artistic and personal journey.

Dennis Bertram was born in Valkenburg, in the Netherlands. He moved to western New York in 1986, after living in White Plains, NY, since 1982. He recieved a BA from Indiana University, a MD from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Master of Public Health (MPH) ScD from Johns Hopkins University. Currently, he is the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program Coordinator at the University of Buffalo.

More of David Bertram's work can be seen at his website: http://cargocollective.com/dennisbertram