Graphite Gradients is a series of geometric, machine-assisted drawings that examine the tension between precision and unpredictability. By considering and calibrating variables such as paper texture, graphite density, pencil sharpness, drawing pressure, drawing speed, offset, and overlap, we produce tonal transitions that appear simultaneously mechanical and organic. The resulting surfaces evoke sedimentary layers — time, force, and material accumulating as gradients that suggest both balance and fragility. The series advances our ongoing inquiry into the relationship between artist intent, the hand, the tool, and the nature of control.

Color Gradients (2024 – ongoing) builds on the legacy of color theory, translating systematic geometric combinations into machine-drawn compositions. Each work layers colored pencil to map subtle shifts in hue, saturation, and vibration, creating visual fields that are both meticulous and luminous. The series captures the tension between control and irregularity, where the mechanical precision of mark-making meets the natural variation of pigment and the imperfections of human guidance. It is both a study of optical resonance and a meditation on composition and materiality.

All Squares Are Rectangles — Not All Rectangles Are Squares (A.S.A.R. — N.A.R.A.S) (2024 – ongoing) is an open exploration of rectilinear grids, examining variations of square and rectangular relationships. Through shifts in scale, alignment, and proportion, each composition reveals the subtle tension between symmetry and asymmetry. The series demonstrates how elemental geometry can generate nuanced, rhythmic spatial patterns and visually dynamic compositions.

Neue Grid (2023 – ongoing) is a contemporary reimagining of the modernist grid, drawing inspiration from mid-century Swiss design principles while incorporating circular integrations and variable permutations. Produced through a hybrid of painting and machine-assisted drawing, these works push the boundaries of structure and experimentation. Through layers of alignment, distortion, repetition, and textural variation, the series transforms a familiar organizing system into an active, evolving framework. The result is a dialogue between order and disruption, precision and play.

Re-Order (2023) is a collaborative series with photographer Jamie Kripke, examining how systems of order intersect with natural irregularities. As Kripke wrote: ​“Before math and science, there was nature and geography. Over time, our ability to document, describe, and understand our physical surroundings has increased in detail and complexity. This series explores our instinctive need to organize and comprehend the natural world, as a way to understand both our surroundings and ourselves.”

The series merges Berger & Föhr’s minimalist, grid-driven visual language with Kripke’s photographic studies, producing compositions that shift between order and flux, structure and organic form. Re-Order reflects on the ways human frameworks can both illuminate and reshape our understanding of the world around us.

Dots (2023 – ongoing) explores composition as a byproduct of accumulation through repetition, building dense monochrome patterns from single marks made with wooden dowels. The series references both pointillist traditions and digital logic, while paying homage to Colorado painter Vance Kirkland (1904 — 1981). These works shift between mechanical regularity and organic expansion, suggesting how larger systems emerge from small, deliberate actions.

36 Lines (2023 – ongoing) is a systematic exploration of line, spacing, and rhythm within a fixed numeric framework. Each composition consists of exactly 36 lines, yet subtle variations in weight, distance, and compositional proportion generate dynamic optical shifts. What begins as a strict constraint evolves into a study of repetition, precision, and spatial tension, where structure gives rise to unexpected visual harmony.

Templates (2023 – ongoing) enlarges the utilitarian language of drafting tools — shapes and symbols once used to standardize architecture and engineering — into paintings and drawings (to come) that feel both monumental and minimal. By scaling these familiar objects beyond their functional purpose, the series transforms tools of precision into artifacts of abstraction. Each work explores how structure, repetition, and geometry can transcend utility to evoke new spatial and conceptual narratives.

Checks (2023 – ongoing) investigates the enduring structure of the grid, drawing from its historical presence in textiles, graphic design, and architectural planning. Through deliberate modulation of density, alignment, and contrast, each composition shifts between visual stability and optical vibration. The series examines how repetition and interference can transform a familiar pattern into a dynamic, destabilizing field.

Completely Mediocre / Worth Writing About (2021) marks the first work in a series reflecting on self-importance and the construction of creative value, drawing heavily from the language of contemporary art criticism. Through minimal, self-referential gestures, the series questions what renders a work ​“worth” attention — suggesting that even mediocrity, when framed and documented, can acquire cultural and conceptual significance.

This Post (2021) transforms the fleeting immediacy of digital communication into deliberate, tangible form. By recontextualizing casual online language, the series examines the tension between ephemerality and permanence, questioning how meaning shifts when transient expressions are granted physical presence.

Total Crap (2021) is a tongue-in-cheek conceptual work that explores the boundaries between value, taste, and critique in contemporary art. Assembled from readily available materials — 3D-printed PLA letters coated in Flex Seal™ and mounted on a wood panel — the piece employs a deliberately raw, ​“undesigned” finish to question what is considered worthy or refined. Both irreverent and reflective, Total Crap transforms imperfection and blunt commentary into an aesthetic language that challenges the systems — critical, cultural, and market-driven — that define quality in art and design.

Optimism / Pessimism (2020) examines dualities of thought and perception through the interplay of positive and negative space, as well as contrasts in line and fill. Each composition pairs openness with density, light with dark, creating visual fields that shift between airy ethereality and grounded substantiality. The series underscores how even subtle formal — or informal — changes can dramatically alter mood, suggesting that perception is fluid, contingent, and shaped by opposing forces as well as one’s own situational lens.

100 — 0 (2020) is a split-fountain diptych screenprint series utilizing 13 hand-mixed tints of black and white ink to create a fluid gradient that transitions from 100% black to nearly white across two sheets. Each screenprint is pulled live on press, allowing the ink to blend in real time and form a seamless tonal progression. The series is a focused study of gradation, exploring the physicality of ink and the subtle shifts that emerge through process and precision.

Units (2020 – ongoing) is a meditative study in monochrome layering built around a modular, scalable system of repeatable elements arranged to create both redundant and shifting structures and rhythms. Multi-layered single-color palettes atop geometric components allow the works to function like architectural frameworks — rigid yet stackable and highly adaptable. Each composition underscores the potential of minimal forms to generate complexity, depth, and seemingly limitless opportunities for spatial interplay.

Capitalism / Intellectual Property (2020) examines the everyday, all-too-common language of commercial graphic design — the language of ownership and branding — through reduction and abstraction. Familiar symbols of intellectual property are decontextualized, stripped of their commercial associations, and reimagined as visual systems. The series critiques the commodification of creativity while probing how identity, value, and authorship are constructed.

Variables (2020 – ongoing) is a gradient-based color and compositional study centered on controlled geometric variation and recombination, focusing on how incremental shifts in spacing, hue, and form create a spectrum of visual outcomes. Each composition is a snapshot of transformation, revealing how systematic alterations produce evolving structures and potentially new patterns. The series explores both predictability and chance.

ZHĒKLĀ (2020 – ongoing) is a series of paintings created atop giclée reproductions of well-known and often celebrated artworks. In these pieces, the original works serve only as a structural baseline or occasional backdrop for new layers of intervention. Acting as both homage and critique, the series examines the commodification of art and the constructed notions of value within the contemporary art market.

Coveted (2020) is a conceptual body of sculptural works in which everyday, common, and often desired objects are permanently encased in blocks of solid resin. By immobilizing these items, the series strips them of both function and emotional reward. Coveted examines our relationship to material possessions, challenging notions of utility, value, and the fleeting satisfaction of ownership.

Absence (2020) explores negative space and omission, using surface finish and texture as central compositional strategies. Rather than emphasizing what is present, each work draws attention to the voids and impressions that remain — suggesting that emptiness can hold as much weight, meaning, and emotional resonance as form itself.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall / Fairest of Them All (2020) delves into vanity, self-perception, and the fragility of identity through reflective surfaces fractured and sealed in resin. By breaking, fragmenting, and reframing the mirror — a symbol of both truth and illusion — the series challenges viewers to confront the tension between self-image and reality. Each work functions as both object and encounter, shifting from observation to self-reflection as the viewer’s presence becomes part of the composition.

As Seen on TV (2020) is a wry commentary on consumer culture and mass media aesthetics, drawing from the language of advertising and broadcast graphics — particularly the over-the-top marketing of Flex Seal™ products. In this series, Flex Seal™ itself becomes an art-making material, its commercial ubiquity repurposed to question what defines a work as ​“contemporary art.” By reconfiguring familiar visual cues and elevating a banal, heavily advertised product, the series critiques manufactured desire, commodified attention, and the shifting metrics of artistic value.

Crude / Grotesk (2021 – ongoing) merges raw, expressive mark-making with the disciplined structure of contemporary sans serif typography. The series is built around two custom house typefaces — Berger & Föhr Crude and Berger & Föhr Grotesk — conceived in collaboration with James Edmondson of OH no Type Co. & Future Fonts. The pair reflects the duality inherent in the studio, a convergence of technology and tradition. Crude is intentionally rough and unrefined, originally designed for letter formation from rough, rectilinear materials as a physical typeface. In contrast, Grotesk is an art-historical grotesque loosely informed by Franklin Gothic and Akzidenz-Grotesk — inspirationally akin to some of the type employed by Lawrence Weiner and Ed Ruscha. Each composition explores dichotomy, the tension between refinement and imperfection, mechanical clarity and human irregularity, sensical and nonsensical, examining the boundary between clear communication and abstraction.

Reflect / Absorb (2019) examines material dualities — surfaces that mirror, capture, or entirely absorb light. These works invite the viewer to see their own presence and surroundings as integral to the composition, dissolving the boundaries between object, environment, and perception.

Convergence (Group Show) (2019) was a collaborative exhibition with Boulder-based visual artist Jamie Kripke. Combining Berger & Föhr’s concept-driven, reductive approach with Kripke’s photographic and illustrative sensibility, the show explored intersections of form, narrative, and authorship. The exhibition featured a mix of poured and brushed paintings, prints derived from these works, and Kripke’s conceptual photographic series The Divide (2019), examining how distinct practices — rooted in abstraction, composition, design, and the observation of the natural world — could converge into a unified yet multilayered visual dialogue.

Mazes (2019) is a series of abstract compositions constructed using artist tape, drawing inspiration from the logic and structure of labyrinths. Each work distills complex pathways into bold, linear patterns that explore movement, containment, and spatial tension. Through reduction, symmetry, and repetition, the series reflects Berger & Föhr’s interest in systems-based design, where visual rhythm and order emerge from the interplay of constraint and variation.

Calendars (2019) is a series of primarily typographic, machine-drawn calendars produced as limited-edition works. Created as part of an ongoing study in ink and paper combinations, the series also served as an exploration of precision, repetition, and refinement within Berger & Föhr’s machine-based drawing process. Each calendar functions as both a practical artifact and a minimal typographic composition, emphasizing the intersection of utility and graphic design.

Mandala (2019) explores radial symmetry, composite layering, and meditative form, merging geometric precision with organic repetition. Drawing inspiration from spiritual diagrams and modernist reduction, the series reinterprets the traditional mandala as a minimal, contemporary framework. Each composition is both structured and open-ended, inviting contemplation on balance, unity, and the infinite.

Industrial Materials (2019-ongoing) foregrounds raw, utilitarian, and readily accessible hardware store-grade materials — acrylics, drywall, plaster, spray foam, aerosol finishes, screens, scrims, tapes, tarps, vinyl, steel, aluminum, concrete, and glass — as both medium and message. By employing construction-grade components in minimalist configurations and embracing their inherent aesthetics and material properties, the works explore the tension between industrial functionality and artistic intent. The series examines how these materials — through weight, texture, and finish — can transcend their utilitarian origins to propose new aesthetics, spatial relationships, and conceptual frameworks.

WORK WORK (2019) was a collaborative exhibition with artist Joseph Shaeffer, presented at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder, Colorado. The exhibition explored repetition, material experimentation, and the visual language of labor, often considered through the lens of boundaries and borders. Informed by Shaeffer’s integration of atypical, optical, and physics laboratory-related materials to create conceptual, predominantly sculptural works, this body of work marked Berger & Föhr’s first foray into both the use of tape as a primary medium and the reverse side of stretched canvas as both container and architectural focal point, as well as the creation of full-body, heavy-poured, or ladled paint applications. The series further expanded our commitment to black-and-white compositions and the use of line density and relational spacing to generate optical vibration and moiré effects. Together, the works examined how minimal means — through materiality, precision, and repetition — can create both visual tension and conceptual resonance.

Remnants (2019) is a series of meta-artifacts created from the leftover tape used while masking paintings for the WORK WORK exhibition. These residual materials, set into panels and sealed in resin, capture the traces of the creative process itself. By preserving the byproducts of production, the series transforms functional, discarded elements into new works that reflect both the act of making and the material memory of the original pieces.

Line Study (2019) is an exercise in material synchronicity across multiple panels, intended to yield a continuous and consistent form using limited materials — specifically holographic tape and resin. The work explores how line, when extended through repetition and precise alignment, can create optical continuity and depth. Subtle reflections, shifting light, and layered surfaces introduce a visually complex experience, particularly when viewed across multiple panels. This study reflects Berger & Föhr’s ongoing interest in minimal systems, material experimentation, and how simple forms can generate perceptual and structural complexity.

Just White / Only Black (2019) is a paired study in extremes, using monochrome, heavy-body paint-filled surfaces to investigate presence, absence, and perception. Each work isolates the material qualities of a single color field — one entirely white, the other entirely black — where light, texture, and shadow become active compositional elements. Emerging from Berger & Föhr’s ongoing exploration of black-and-white optical effects, the series demonstrates how reduction to pure tonal opposites can yield both subtle complexity and conceptual weight.

Proud (2019) is a one-off exploratory work, created with artist tape and resin during Colorado Pride Week, in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. The piece is a minimal yet potent study of visibility and affirmation, using reduction and clarity to celebrate diversity and inclusivity. Its design embodies Berger & Föhr’s belief in the power of visual language to convey solidarity, identity, and collective pride.

Circle Square Circle (2019) is a series of machine-assisted drawings informed by Berger & Föhr’s Circle Grids series. By integrating circular forms within strict square frameworks, the works explore the visual tension between curved and linear geometries. Using repetition and precise alignment, the series generates optical vibration and moiré effects that create a sense of movement and shifting depth. This body of work extends the optical investigations of Circle Grids, pushing the interplay of structure, motion, and perception.

Stereo Circle (2019) is a machine-assisted drawing that explores symmetry, rhythm, and optical vibration through concentric and overlapping circular forms. Utilizing chromostereoptic color interactions — specifically red, blue, and black — the work generates shifting depth and visual movement as the viewer’s perspective changes. This piece reflects Berger & Föhr’s ongoing interest in minimal geometries, perceptual play, and how color and precision-driven processes intersect to create dynamic optical experiences.

Dymaxion Variant (2019) is a geometric exploration inspired by Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion map, which reimagines the globe as a network of contiguous triangles. Through reduction and abstraction, the work distills this complex cartographic projection into a minimal visual language that emphasizes connectivity and form. By breaking apart and recomposing the structure, Dymaxion Variant reflects Berger & Föhr’s interest in flexible, modular systems, visual tension, and the interplay between order, composition, and interpretation.

Circle Grids (2018) is a series of machine-assisted drawings derived from a 1:1 grid — sometimes fully present, other times predominantly absent — coupled with circular interventions atop the grid. The repetition and occasional overlap of arcs produce compositions that feel simultaneously engineered and organic. The series investigates how simple circular forms, when layered and systematically arranged, can generate rhythm, movement, and spatial depth.

Never / Ever (2018) is a series of screenprints on mirrored glass, printed in black and white, that employ opposing visual strategies — circular fills and circular voids. Each paired composition is positioned opposite its counterpart, creating a dialogue between presence and absence, reflection and opacity. The mirrored surfaces engage the viewer directly, dissolving the line between image and environment while reinforcing the tension between permanence and impermanence.

Reality is Subjective (R.I.S.) (2017) addresses the fractured, self-reflective nature of perception in contemporary culture. Layers of obfuscation and distortion suggest shifting viewpoints, challenging the notion of a single, stable reality. Each work considers interpretation, bias, and the ways truth and belief are constructed within both the individual and society at large.

Morse Code (2015) translates the binary language of dots and dashes — an early form of digital communication — into abstract visual compositions. Through repetition, spacing, and rhythm, the series transforms utilitarian signals into patterns that are both systemic and expressive. These works reflect on the tension between clarity and interpretation, highlighting the aesthetic potential of encoded language.

Linewave (2014) is an exploration of rhythm, movement, and flow achieved through the repetition and subtle deviation of linear forms. Presented as a screenprint, the work generates undulating, wave-like patterns that shift dynamically with the viewer’s perspective, creating a sense of dimension and optical vibration. The series investigates how simple lines — when carefully arranged — can evoke both motion and stillness, balancing mechanical precision with human nuance to achieve a refined visual complexity.

Convergence (2014) is Berger & Föhr’s first collaborative limited-edition lithograph, created in partnership with master printer Bud Shark of Shark’s Ink. Commissioned by the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art and the City of Boulder as part of The Flood Project: Rising Above & Restoring Boulder Through Art, the work was developed as part of a broader community initiative to support ongoing flood relief efforts through Foothills United Way.

Máthema (2013) marked Berger & Föhr’s inaugural solo exhibition, held at Svperordinary Gallery in Denver, Colorado. The show was almost entirely monochrome, featuring editioned screenprints and block prints — produced predominantly in black ink on white paper. Centered on the power of simple geometric forms, Máthema examined how scale, composition, and medium can transform fundamental shapes into carriers of visual tension and non-objective meaning.

Fuckoff & Math (Burned) (2012) is a conceptual diptych that juxtaposes the bluntness of language with the order of universal geometry. Fuckoff is a morse-code screenprint translating the phrase ​“fuck off,” while Math is a study of fundamental shapes — lines, circle, square, rectangle, and triangle — arranged with a degree of mathematical precision. In this iteration, the works are subjected to a scorched or ​“burned” treatment, reflecting on creation and destruction as intertwined acts. Both irreverent and deliberate, the piece explores the tension between chaos and control, language and abstraction, emotion and logic, art and order.

Drafts (2012) is a collection of exploratory works that test material, medium, and concept outside of our defined series. These pieces often engage with ideas at the edges of our immediate practice, functioning as both research and reflection. By loosening the constraints of a singular framework, Drafts becomes a space for experimentation — where composition, form, and process evolve through open-ended exploration.

Belief (2012) is a large-scale screenprint conceived as a studio talisman — an emblem of trust in our vision, our partnership, and the enduring rigor of our creative practice. Inspired by Shaker barn symbology and drawing from the visual language developed through our graphic identity work, the piece reimagines the all-seeing eye as a mark of self-determination and belief in the act of making itself. Both declarative and contemplative, Belief reflects the values that underpin our studio: clarity of thought, shared authorship, and an unwavering commitment to progression through design and art.

Deceit (2011) is a one-off conceptual work created in collaboration with artist and fabricator Kristian Kluver for Design After Dark, a design-based exhibition held by the Denver Art Museum (DAM) Design Council. Responding to the theme of ​“weight,” the piece subverted the premise of the show by integrating the plinth into the artwork itself — replacing the standard pedestal with a work that matched the same footprint and vertical dimension as the others. This conceptual maneuver blurred the distinction between object and support, challenging conventional display hierarchies and prompting a reconsideration of structure, presence, and perception.

Mono No Aware (2011) takes its name from the Japanese term meaning ​“the pathos of things” or ​“a sensitivity to ephemera,” describing an awareness of impermanence. In Japan, the cherry blossom often serves as a metaphor for the fleeting nature of life — its intense beauty followed by swift disappearance. This work reflects that sentiment, created as an homage to the Japanese people and their resilience in the wake of tragedy.

Screen printed in an edition of 13 for Svper Ordinary Gallery’s Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Poster Show, all proceeds from the sale of Mono No Aware were donated to the Red Cross.

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