David Bierk, 1944-2002

There was a point in my life when I countered David among by good friends…and I have always counted him as an inspiration. He certainly had a great influence on the art scene in Peterborough and by extension all of southern Ontario and all of the country.
He was a big man who never shied away from big projects…turning the town clock tower into a huge art gallery…or painting enormous paintings of roacks that so beautifully reflectd the awesome beauty of his adopted country.
As I’ve learned to say here on PEI…you know, he was really something.

The Cluetrain Manifesto (which you introduced me to) calls markets “conversations”. Implicit in that thesis is the affect we all have on each other when we meet, interact, inspire, bore, aggravate, encourage, etc… It occurs to me that David Bierk has had an indirect influence in PEI. It may be that he considered the existence of this affect but perhaps never imagined its nature. In a sense it is a transcendental existence by virtue of the continuing works and behaviours of those he influenced.

I’ve always been a fan of David’s art and it is really hard to learn of his death because both his art and himself seemed bigger than life. And I don’t know of many parents who can claim to have three very famous kids (Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, another one who is an NHL goalie and a third who is a model for Vogue in Europe).
My own memory of David was visiting with him during a Studio Tour - I spent about an hour with him at his studio before more people showed up. There is this odd notion around that artists somehow just make art but don’t really understand what they or anyone else is doing - so we need critics to help us understand. I think that is totally wrong - artists have their artistic mode and then they have their non-artist mode when they can look at business or art or anything as objectively as anyone else. When I visited him, David pulled down different catalogs and art magazines where his art was and showed that even though his paintings looked like classic art, he was really in the same school as the guys who put vacuum cleaners in a block of plexiglass or who make installations with teddy bears and kitsch. He was part of the 20th century project to make us think about what is and isn’t art and to think about how we look at art.
David could certainly be loud and confident but what struck me that day was that he seemed just like a working guy. When I asked him about his art and what made him different than an amateur artist he said he didn’t have any more talent than an amateur, he was just willing to paint paintings faster and to send them out the door - you can’t support a family by holding onto everything you have ever painted. My favorite David Bierk painting was one of his lush landscapes that was done on a T-shirt and that I bought at one of the 50/50 art shows. Ironically, the painting was brilliant but the T-shirt started to turn brown after a couple of years - I hope that whoever has it now thought to put it into a block of plexiglass. The world is once more a smaller, sadder place now that David Bierk is gone.

I had never met David Bierk, But from what I read it made me feel like I had known him all my life. He was my inspiration and someone I would have loved to have met. His son Zac whom I consider a friend and like the brother I never had. Zac had seen me with his fathers art book and told me to send it to his father, However I was planning on making a trip to Peterborough so he could do it in person. I now regret not doing and had no Idea how short his time was left on this earth. His death took alot out of me and the art world is definitely a lonlier place without David Bierk. I’m also a huge fan of his sons Sebastian, and Zac and Daughter Heather Dylan. They will be hear to carry on the Bierk name with Pride as well as their artistic talents. David Bierk and the rest of the Bierk Family will always be in my heart and prayers.

I had never met David Bierk, But from what I read it made me feel like I had known him all my life. He was my inspiration and someone I would have loved to have met. His son Zac whom I consider a friend and like the brother I never had he had seen me with his fathers art book and told me to send it to his father, However I was planning on making a trip to Peterborough so he could do it in person. I now regret not doing and had no Idea how short his time was left on this earth. His death took alot out of me and the art world is definitely a lonlier place without David Bierk. I’m also a huge fan of his sons Sebastian, and Zac and Daughter Heather Dylan. They will be here to carry on the Bierk name with Pride as well as their artistic talents. David Bierk and the rest of the Bierk Family will always be in my heart and prayers.

I am so happy to stumble upon this site. I work in downtown Los Angeles. Mr. Bierks work is featured in our Lobby with the piece “Absence in Paradise”. It is the centerpiece of the hotel, it is our heartbeat. I have always wanted his family to know that he continues to inspire approximately 300 hotel professionals that work here everyday. There is not a day that goes by that someone does not stop me and asks me to provide more information on how the painting came about. It was actually commissioned by Sheraton Corporation for their
planned renovation, the painting was unveiled in 1991 or 1992 I don’t recall which year, I simply know, this hotel would not be what it is without this beautiful work. This piece has recently been talked about even moreso with the introcuction of the movie “Girl with The Pearl Earring” of which a portion is featured on the painting. I remember his talents each day and thank you for the inspiration.

I met Zac recently, and had no idea of his immense talents at the time. He was very sweet and polite.

The world is much smaller without you, David.

My very beautiful deposed exiled royal mummy Patricia Ann of Bourbon-Goethe Grimaldi lines was captivated by David Bierk*s art since the 1970s.I remember her looking deeply into his pictures in a book containing this talented unusual artists work as she sipped coffee at our regency mahogany table she was fond of.Someone borrowed her book never returning it to her.Somehow in the later years I met by chance at Niagra Falls a true love+married him by midnight.He was David*s son Sebastian.We were broken up by peer musicians envious of us+my murdered mummy never was told by me that I actually married her favourite artists handsome son.I didn't dare mention this as Sebastian*s manager had arranged Maria to oust me.Sebastian will always be deep in my dreams.Oh we saw mists rising up from haunted Niagra Falls that pitch black night..enveloping us,calling us to their windowsill until we were still. Lavina Morticia Bierk

I always will remember Sebastian*s dad saying the words Quicksand Jesus.He told me I ought to hurry back to Sebastian+those quicksand words were words their family used often.Sebastian*s beloved dad was kind of a deep thinker+he talked a lot of windows+to me I interpreted this as veils to go through.Sebastian loved his dad so very much and almost as soon as he died the peer rockstars started to use him.I never saw such envy as peer rockstars got heavy with us.They wanted our gold.Sebastian+i were free+easy riding but lucky for us i dance to the Devils tune so I will get them back for all they did I cant reveal just now. Lavina Morticia Bierk.