John Berg: The Maximalist (2018)

Documentary | 20 min | USA

Director: Mani Mehrvarz
Writer: Mani Mehrvarz
Stars: John Berg, Lynne Berg
Art Director: Maryam Muliaee
Cinematography: Derek Hosken
Photography: Justin Sanchez, Maryam Muliaee
Sound: Justin Sanchez
Music: John Berg

John Berg: The Maximalist is a documentary portraying the Buffalo-based artist, John Berg. He is versed in working with a variety of artistic materials. Over the past fifty years or more, he has created several collections of painting and illustration. He also plays music and has built fine electric guitars.

Following his mother, John has been endowed with a passion for art since his earliest years. In this film, the camera takes the viewers on a journey to see the artist’s studio where he creates his art and spends most of his time working. John tells us exciting stories from where he takes inspiration and talks about the artists who have influenced his art. In contrast to the modernist paintings that tend towards minimalism and abstraction by the ways of refinement and purification, John Berg’s paintings are full of intricate details and represent a form of maximalist art, in his own words.