Phil Bergerson | Extracts of America

Exhibition Dates: September 15 - October 13, 2001

Phil Bergerson’s fascination with the ironic detritus of North American culture as revealed in the publicly displayed detail is longstanding. First finding expression in the “interior Displays” grids of 1979-80, his work as an archaeologist of popular culture has reached a remarkable resolution in his new work, Extracts of America.

By turns absurd, humorous, painful and poignant, this project is a rich and tumbling index of cultural expression as seen in the architecture, the streets and the signage – commercial, anarchic, eccentric and imploring – of small towns across North America. Its creators include the naïve and the sophisticated and their arena – the facades, display windows, abandoned corners and outskirts of many and varied towns, is the rich multi-layered site of Phil Bergerson’s passionate search.