Anne Berg was born in London in 1942 and has been a painter for well over 60 years. Academically trained she has a BA in Fine Art from Newcastle University, where the painting masters were Victor Pasmore and Richard Hamilton, whose philosophies she rejected. She also has an MSc in Industrial Design, honing her distaste for a technological world in which profit trumped beauty.
As a young artist through marriage and the upbringing of small children she found herself trapped and many of her early paintings show her despair, yet mingled with strength and determination to survive. For much of her life she was a politically active painter, part of the Women Magic Group with whom she exhibited widely and internationally. In mid-life increasing foreign travel enriched her work taking her into more ecological themes.
Anne Berg developed a unique life affirming style which she has likened to “the strength of plants able to push through the concrete which smothers the earth…with an inner life breaking through the veneer of false reality…a force in our art which will one day re-inherit the world.” Her paintings “are a blaze of brilliant colour…hot oranges, brilliant purples and reds, deep emeralds and peacock blues pouring out of the openness and glory of Nature, denying the destructive power of patriarchy. They have much in common with Celtic decorations in The Book of Kells, but they are also part of women’s spiritual struggle.”
Born 7th April 1942 London to Helen Berg (Hayes) and Denis Berg, brothers Alan Holzer, Mick Berg.
Studied University of Newcastle Fine Art Department 1960-3, under painting masters Victor Pasmore and Richard Hamilton.
Married Harry Rothman 1962.
Two sons, Jacob Rothman (1962), Sean Rothman (1964)
Living Bedford (1964), Greasby Cheshire (1965-7), Altrincham, (1967),
Fallowfield Manchester (1968-72), Hayfield Derbyshire (1972-79),
Studied (1981-83) at Birmingham Polytechnic MSc. (CNAA) in Industrial Design for thesis “Decoration and Industrial Design”.
Bristol (1985-2001) Studied Art History at Bristol University,
Llandrindod Wells, Wales (2001-present).
By the mid-1960’s I was living in the Wirral with two small children, I join the Socialist labour League and lost many paintings after an exhibition in their Liverpool headquarters
I wrote a novel, worked as a printer and begin working on illuminated diaries.
We move to Altrincham, more crap jobs, as a Pollster
We move again to Fallowfield Manchester, wives trail after husbands’ new jobs.
I created angry paintings expressing the power of women and male power over women.
I studied teacher training at Manchester Polytechnic
Exhibition Manchester Central Library.
The Guardian write up of my work and life.
Meet Monica Sjoo, join “Woman Power Exhibition” Swiss Cottage London.
Moved to Hayfield Peak District, beautiful but feel isolated, teach in local comprehensive.
Exhibitions at The Forum Wythenshawe, Undergate Gallery Stockport, and Manchester Royal Infirmary.
Write another novel, science fiction and short stories, rejected.
A Liverpool gallery goes bust, with more paintings lost again.
Travel to India and live in Fiji for a year, visit Australia, exhibition with Arts Council Suva Fiji.
Further exhibitions Festival of Mind and Body Olympia London, and Amwell Gallery Islington London
Move to Birmingham, mural painting.
Make a mystical turn from politics to “Woman Magic” with Monica Sjoo, a travelling exhibition shown in ten English city galleries.