ARTIST BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: http://www.berniecarreno.net
My work focuses on the transformation of inner and outer worlds into near-minimalist forms. Since I believe that form is an effective tool to communicate complex ideas with power and clarity, I consistently try to direct the viewer’s attention away from the outward surface and toward the inner truth of the form. Tangible things such as landscapes, dancers and lovers are sources for much of my work, but I also choose personal relationships, social/political issues or emotional states as subjects.
Although my work is often inspired by the natural world, I avoid using a strictly organic approach in the process of creating the artwork. I select industrial materials and processes that are themselves devoid of any natural or emotional properties. In doing this, I strive to ensure that the subject is reduced to pure form.
I use vivid colors in some of the work to let the viewer distinguish the sculpture from its background. For me, color serves to support the mood of a particular piece, not as the central element in the creation of meaning. In work that deals with internal or subjective issues, I usually give the metal a natural or minimally enhanced surface to allow the form to influence mood.
I earned my MFA while attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on a full graduate fellowship. During 35 years as a working artist, I have received numerous fellowships and grants, including a Cintas Fellowship and two Indiana Arts Commission Individual Artist Grants. My work is represented throughout the Americas and is included in the collections of the Frost Museum of Art in Miami, The University of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Art Center, and several community hospitals, among others. My work has been exhibited extensively in solo and group shows.
While sustaining my career as a working sculptor, I was the chair of the Sculpture Department at the Indianapolis Art Center (IAC) from 2003 to 2011, where I taught sculpture classes each semester during my tenure. I also produced and hosted three Iron Casting Symposiums, held biannually at the Center. While at the IAC, I instituted iron and bronze casting and developed a certificate program in Sculpture.
My professional experience also includes the development of product and packaging designs and environmental test designs for electronics, aerospace, and health care companies worldwide