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Couldn't keep the flowers alive
a solo exhibition by Eric Anthony Berdis 

Price List
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6/3 - 7/15

In celebration of the 24th Annual Fiber Art International, Bunker Projects launched our inaugural Craft Fellowship Program funded by Opportunity Fund which hosts up-and-coming artists who use craft methods or histories to make new works for exhibition. Curated by Bunker Founder/Creative Director, Jessie Rommelt,  Bunker is hosted local artist, Anne Chen, visiting artist, Krystal DiFronzo and alumni, Eric Anthony Berdis to participate in our first ever Craft Artist Fellowship and Exhibition Program. 
Eric Anthony Berdis (Erie, PA) also known as Mr. B, is an artist, elementary school teacher, and second-time resident at Bunker Project (alum 2018).  Eric’s practice strives to celebrate DIY collectivity, and play for not only themselves but his students.  Eric received his MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has had solo exhibitions at the University Galleries of Illinois State University, Project 1612 (Peoria IL), and Practice Gallery (Philadelphia)  They have exhibited work at Iridian Gallery (Richmond VA), Stay Home Gallery, (Paris TN), Oklahomo (Chicago), and the Erie Art Museum. His work has been published in Hiss Mag, Emergency Index, and New American Painting. 

"My practice engages childhood idealism, mythology, and historic events, to subvert ideas of place, language, and imagery that are often considered neutral in a heteronormative society. " -Eric



Artist Statement
My work embraces a maximalist aesthetic of archival research, personal secrets, and pubescent gay boy glamour. In periods of instability, insecurity, and oppression, I, as a queer maker, continuously find ways to imagine and embody joy through my practice. Happiness, play, and pleasure are not only sought after during difficult times but are arguably necessary components of survival. For queer artists like myself, joy is an act of resilience—a critical method of subverting hegemonic narratives of suffering. Queer joy in my work is found through forms of exuberance such as world-building, committing to materials, and escaping into new types of processes. Inspired in part by Jack Halberstam’s The Queer Art of Failure, the studio becomes experimental, joyful, and playful during uncertain or fearful times. 

​I seek to create a stimulating, yet jarring experience while aiming to create a familiar and inherently strange world for the viewer. Using imagery of superheroes, abandoned fish sculptures in my hometown, and queer historical icons, I seek to build a world and share that place through drawing, installations, objects, and costumes. My practice engages childhood idealism, mythology, and historic events, to subvert ideas of place, language, and imagery that are often considered neutral in a hetero-normative society. 

In my work, thrift store castoffs and hobbyist craft supplies are reassembled into a cast of characters that blur the lines between ghost, creature, and friend. These discarded materials are imbued in perspective and care, that with fresh eyes can be magical. None of these materials cover the body or hide uncomfortable truths of failure or becoming; the AIDS epidemic; or navigating inclusive conversations and spaces. Slapdash construction conveys the enormity and messiness of feeling in the face of a political structure that confines queer bodies. For this reason, I draw from activist processes. Appliqué cloth and safety pins together reference the San Francisco Flower Power performance troupe, the Cockettes, who, through their pageantry, changed notions of dress, gender, community, and the ACT UP movement that demanded change in the healthcare industry.



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Pricing Details:
Sliding Scale Pricing:
  What is it good for? We are excited to pilot this approach to art sales in an effort to make the artworks we sell accessible to collectors who are currently at different income levels. The art in this show took many hours to create by the hands of the artist and we value paying them! But we also would love to be flexible to our community and offer a discounted rate for those who need it. The higher end of the scale represents an approximation of the market value while the low end is what the artist would be able to offer at cost. 

Quilts:  $850-$1600, sliding scale
Drawings:  $250-$550, sliding scale
Wall Paper:  Make an inquiry with our team!

Coming Soon!  $150 edition screen prints by Eric: We will be working with our neighbors at PullProof to produce another editioned screen print with Eric. These are hand pulled archival screen prints that we sell for $150 ea. We love working with our artists to create unique works of art priced at an affordable scale. 
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Bunker Payment Plans for Art collectors: Buying art is such an exciting way to bring energy and beauty into your space while supporting the careers of artists working in your community. We would be happy to discuss a monthly payment plan that allows you to start collecting! 

Bunker Projects
5106 Penn Ave,
​Pittsburgh, PA 15224
©2021 All Rights Reserved. Bunker Projects

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  • Home
    • About
      • Contact
  • Calendar
  • Exhibitions
  • Bunker Review
    • About
      • Partnership
    • The Hand-Off
    • Bunker Talks
  • Give