About

Allen Berke (Detroit; 1948-2003) was an American artist whose practice emerged alongside the politically engaged East Village scene of the 1980s. Berke had many solo exhibitions internationally, including at PS1 and The Queens Museum. Berke's paintings operate through a passionate political realism concerned with themes of masculinity, military power, and martial law. His politically conscious approach placed him within the orbit of artists addressing urgent crises of the period, including Group Material, Leon Golub, and Martin Wong. A recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 1982, Berke maintained connections to major art centers in both New York and Detroit.

Solo Exhibitions

1998 SOLO EXHIBIT, Swords Gallery, Detroit, MI

1994 ALLEN BERKE, Macomb College, Warren, MI

1992 NEW PAINTINGS, Xochipilli Gallery, Birmingham, MI

1989 MELTDOWN, Xochipilli Gallery, Birmingham, MI

1986 Thaw Malin Gallery, New YorK, NY

1985 Seltzer Gallery, New York, NY

1984 ALLEN BERKE, P.S.1, New York

The Pharmacy, New York, NY

Xochipilli Gallery, Birmingham, M

1983 80 Washington Square East, NYU, New York

1982 Xochipilli Gallery, Birmingham, MI

1977 Xochipilli Gallery, Birmingham, M

1970 ALLEN BERKE, Kent State University Gallery, OH

Group Exhibitions

1991 DENIAL, 303 Gallery, New York

UNLEASHED, B.N.D. Gallery, New York

1990 NO AL INDULTO, Escuela de Bellas Artes, Rosario, Argentina

BEYOND BOUNDARIES, Black and White in Color Gallery, New York

PASSAGES, Discovery Gallery, New York, 1990

Museum NECCA - New England Center for Contemporary Art

1989 PRISONERS OF ART, Police Building Gallery, New York

1988 FIGURE, Michigan Gallery, Detroit

Octagon Exhibit, New York,

Arte Studio "88", Bergamo, Italy

JAGGED EDGE, Art Act Gallery, Miami, FL

GROUP EXHIBT, Tobe Art International, New York

Artifacts Salon, Miami, FL

1986 NEA FELLOWSHIP, Detroit Focus Gallery, New York

Shreck Calle Gallery, New York

Dalia Tawil Gallery, New York

JURRIED EXHIBITION, The Queens Museum, New York

ART AND POLITICS, Circle Vision, New York

SMALL WORK, Now Gallery, New York

ARTIFACTS SALON, Moosart Gallery, MIAMI, FL

LIBERTY CELEBRATION, Civilization Gallery, New York

GROUP EXHIBITION, Arco International Art Fair, Madrid, Spain

PACA EXHIBIT, New York

Olympia, London, England

Nolo Contendre Gallery, New York

THREE ARTISTS, Pene Dubois, New York

1985 Studio K Gallery, New York

EAST VILLAGE ARTISTS, Vorpal, San Francisco

Nico Smith Gallery

OUTSIDE MANHATTAN, 9th Precinct Gallery, New York

ARTISTS FOR THE HOMELESS, Kraine Gallery, New York

RIVINGTON SCHOOL, No Se NO Gallery, New York

1984 A&P Gallery, New York

Nada Gallery, New York

13th Hour Gallery “Iceland, Russia, and USA” New York

Pompei Gallery, New York

Nolo Contendre Gallery

MICRO WAVE; Allen Berke, Martin Wong, Greer Lankton. Now Gallery, New York

Avenue B Gallery

ELECTION SHOW, ABC No Rio, New York

AGAINST APARTHIED, ABC No Rio, New York

INNER SPACE, St. Marks Gallery

Vox Populi Gallery

Gallery 345, New York

EXTRAVAGANZA, Dramatis Personae Gallery, New York

GROUP EXHIBITION, Soho Center for Visual Artists, New York

Steven Rosenberg Gallery, NY

1983 Six Sense Gallery

Terrain Gallery, New York

Alan Bilhaud Gallery, New York

Macomb College Gallery (two person show)

1978 ARTISTS, Flint Institute of Arts Michigan Annual (first place)

Detroit Focus Gallery, MI

Selected Press

1997 Jan Worth, Flint Journal Buckham Review, Oct 19

1996 Mary Klemic, Birmingham Eccentric, Review of Cranbrook Exhibit, July

1995 Mary Klemic,STATE ART SHOW, Birmingham Eccentric, Aug 18

1992 Veronica Pasfield, Detroit Monthly, Studio visit, June

1990 Paige Morrow, Allen Berke, NHK Japan, October

1988 Phyllis Braff, TAKING A STAND SOCIAL ISSUES, The New York Times, March 6

Bob Smith, JAGGED EDGE, Miami New Times, May 10

1987 Microstress Review, 108 East Village Review, July

1986 El Pais, Madrid, Spain, Arco Review, April 10

Ross Uroquart, ALLEN BERKE’S NEW PAINTINGS, The New Common Good, March

1984 Paul Smith, POLITICAL ISSUES, Arts Magazine, November

Joy Colby, SINKING OR SWIMING, Detroit News, October

Marsha Miro, PAINTINGS TO SET THE NERVES ON EDGE, Detroit Free Press

1983 James Kirchner, DIDN’TANYONE NOTICE PROTO-NEO EXPRESSIONISM, Detroit

Focus Quarterly, April

Dale Laurin, ALL ART IS FOR LIFE, Sunstorm, October

Marsha Miro, PLAGENS SHOW, Detroit Free Press, April

Joy Colby, PETER PLAGENS PICKS PAINTINGS, Detroit News, April

1982 Dan Acosta, THE PLAY OF THE BRUSH, October

Marsha Miro, ALLEN BERKE, Detroit Free Press, November

1977 Marsha Miro, ALLEN BERKE, Detroit Free Press, February

Education:

New York State Teaching Certificate - 1983

M.F.A. Wayne State University, Detroit, MI - 1971

Fellowships:

National Endowment for Arts - 1982

Blossom-Kent Art Program. Kent State University - 1970