IU professor’s art part of Summer Olympics exhibit

Fine arts professor Edward Bernstein will represent IU at the Summer Olympics
in London.

Bernstein, head of the printmaking department at the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts at IU, will have his artwork, titled “Illuminata,” on display at the Barbican Centre in London. The artwork will be a part of “The River Thames, the Great Wall of China — Embrace the World,” an international juried exhibition in honor of the Summer Olympics.

“Illuminata” is a 40-by-60-inch print on etching paper that features glass chandeliers in Venice rendered from a photograph Bernstein took while teaching summer classes through the School of Fine Arts. Bernstein described his piece as very colorful and said he wanted his artwork to relate to the Olympics.

“I wanted to focus on the joy of people getting together,” he said. “Celebration.”
Bernstein completed the piece in three and a half weeks, and in March, he  shipped it to China for the juried process.

In April, Bernstein learned his piece was accepted. He and his wife plan to travel to the exhibition opening, which takes place August 1. The piece was framed in China before being shipped to London. It will be on display for the duration of the Olympic games.

“I’m hoping it’s there and they framed it well,” Bernstein said. “It’s a great opportunity, and I’m so grateful to have this.”

Trained as a fine arts etcher, Bernstein merges technology and traditional printmaking techniques when creating his artwork.

Bernstein has traveled extensively, and his experiences in other countries inspire his artwork. He is the director of the IU summer program in printmaking and artists books at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Italy. He teaches classes during the program and is almost fluent in Italian. Bernstein was also invited to teach for four months in
Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

For his latest project, Bernstein received a grant from the Indiana Arts Commission.

His project stems from his perceptions of Brazil.

“We’re thrilled to have professor Bernstein’s work representing IU at the Olympics,” said IU spokesman Mark  Land. “His print will be seen by thousands of visitors from around the world, which simply reinforces the world-class quality of work being done by members of IU’s School of Fine Arts.”