Space Ship 1985

John Berkey made this 'Space Ship' with, what looks like, fast strokes and a slightly muddy but somehow electric color palette. The layering of colors, the way he lets the brush dance across the surface, it's all part of the drama. There is a real physicality to the painting. Berkey's confident brushstrokes don't just represent the form of a spaceship, they embody the very energy and movement of it slicing through space. I love how the orange streak of the engine contrasts against the cool blues and grays, creating a sense of depth and speed. Look closely, and you can almost feel the vibration of the craft! Berkey's work reminds me a bit of Syd Mead, another visionary who explored the aesthetics of future technology. But where Mead's work is clean and precise, Berkey's is raw, expressive, and full of painterly gestures. And that is its power.