David Berezin
Are You Lonely Mr. Claus?
In Are You Lonely Mr. Claus?, a bottle of whiskey, a red rose, a lit cigarette, and an assembly of kitschy Christmas memorabilia (Santa’s hat, a sugar cane) are displayed side-by-side with artifacts that denote some sort of (typically Californian?) summer leisure time (sea shells, sun block and goggles).
David Berezin takes advantage of the language of popular culture and our overexposure to it. His use and mix of contemporary signifiers and movie-like titles refer to a certain Hollywood narratives that exploit incongruous and stereotypical symbols. In another way, his updated “vanitas” still-life compositions play with the futility and transitory character of life now understood as expendable. Berezin graduated with a BFA from California College of the Arts in 2007.