{"id":1861375,"date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1861375"},"modified":"2026-04-02T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T21:00:00","slug":"symbiotic-communion-flourishes-in-laura-bergers-expansive-paintings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1861375","title":{"rendered":"Symbiotic Communion Flourishes in Laura Berger\u2019s Expansive Paintings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1049\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/berger-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a wide painting by Laura Berger of nude women in a pink landscape\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cWomen Living Peacefully Under The Mountain\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 38 x 72 inches. All images courtesy of Laura Berger, shared with permission<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Symbiotic Communion Flourishes in Laura Berger\u2019s Expansive Paintings<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-04-02T06:37:00-05:00\">April 2, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-art\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/art\/\" rel=\"tag\">Art<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/gebert\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Grace Ebert<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F04%2Flaura-berger-large-figurative-paintings%2F&amp;title=Symbiotic%20Communion%20Flourishes%20in%20Laura%20Berger%27s%20Expansive%20Paintings\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"472201\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Chicago-based artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lauraberger.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Laura Berger<\/a> continues her explorations of communion in a suite of staggering paintings that place <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/laura-berger\/\">her signature minimal figures<\/a> in intimate fellowship with one another and the earth. Spanning six feet wide, the monumental works layer limbs and landscapes, as nude bodies merge with waves, flowers, and sun-strewn clouds. <\/p>\n<p>Berger frequently gestures toward past experiences and the spiritual realm, particularly focusing on the ways time fogs the clarity of memory and how transformation emerges from myriad circumstances. This body of work expands on the themes of interdependence, too, as she renders her figures in varying states of translucence as they swim through a cresting wave or lounge atop pink petals.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/berger-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472201\" title=\"\u201cThe Sky\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 38 x 72 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cThe Sky\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 38 x 72 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cThe Sky\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 38 x 72 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1054\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/berger-4.jpg\" alt=\"a wide painting by Laura Berger of nude women falling amidst a cloud\" class=\"wp-image-472206\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cThe Sky\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 38 x 72 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>These pieces will be on view from April 17 to May 23 at <a href=\"https:\/\/kristinhjellegjerde.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery<\/a>\u00a0in West Palm Beach. Until then, explore more of the artist\u2019s work on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/_lauraberger_\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/berger-5.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472201\" title=\"Detail of \u201cWomen Living Peacefully Under The Mountain\u201d (2026)\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cWomen Living Peacefully Under The Mountain\u201d (2026)\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cWomen Living Peacefully Under The Mountain\u201d (2026)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/berger-5.jpg\" alt=\"a detail of image of a wide painting by Laura Berger of nude women in a pink landscape\" class=\"wp-image-472207\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cWomen Living Peacefully Under The Mountain\u201d (2026)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/berger-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472201\" title=\"\u201cSpring Tide\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 38 x 72 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cSpring Tide\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 38 x 72 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cSpring Tide\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 38 x 72 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1055\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/berger-2.jpg\" alt=\"a wide painting by Laura Berger of nude women in a pink landscape with a large dark wave swell\" class=\"wp-image-472204\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cSpring Tide\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 38 x 72 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/berger-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472201\" title=\"\u201cWe Are Sleeping In The Garden\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 38 x 72 inches\" data-rl_title=\"\u201cWe Are Sleeping In The Garden\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 38 x 72 inches\" data-rl_caption=\"\u201cWe Are Sleeping In The Garden\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 38 x 72 inches\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1055\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/berger-3.jpg\" alt=\"a wide painting by Laura Berger of nude women in a pink floral landscape\" class=\"wp-image-472205\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cWe Are Sleeping In The Garden\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 38 x 72 inches<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/berger-6.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-472201\" title=\"Detail of \u201cSpring Tide\u201d (2026)\" data-rl_title=\"Detail of \u201cSpring Tide\u201d (2026)\" data-rl_caption=\"Detail of \u201cSpring Tide\u201d (2026)\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/berger-6.jpg\" alt=\"a detail image of a painting by Laura Berger of a nude woman lying on her back with an open shell covering her torso\" class=\"wp-image-472208\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Detail of \u201cSpring Tide\u201d (2026)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong><\/mark> Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"118516\">Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"block-17\" class=\"widget widget_block\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-benefits is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hide advertising<\/li>\n<li>Save your favorite articles<\/li>\n<li>Get 15% off in the <a href=\"https:\/\/colossal.shop\/\">Colossal Shop<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Receive members-only newsletter<\/li>\n<li>Give 1% for art supplies in K-12 classrooms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top member-options is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex 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All images courtesy of Laura Berger, shared with permission Symbiotic Communion Flourishes in Laura Berger\u2019s Expansive Paintings April 2, 2026 Art Grace Ebert Share Email Bookmark Chicago-based artist Laura Berger continues her explorations of communion in a suite of staggering paintings [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-1861375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1861375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1861375"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1861375\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1861375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1861375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1861375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}