In my mid-40s, life took an unscripted turn. Exhibiting my photographic series, Dancing Leaves, led me to the Silvermine Guild, where I found a vibrant, soul-nurturing community and a new sense of what it means to be an artist. Restlessness drove me to explore new forms—metal welding opened entirely unexpected avenues of expression. Every stumble and detour has shaped my art and my life, proving that the most meaningful paths are often the ones we never plan.
Thomas S. Berntsen is an artist whose career has evolved from the precision of professional photography to the conceptual depth of multidisciplinary art. A graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology (B.S., Professional Photography, 1977), he began his career in New York City, running a studio that specialized in decorative arts, interior, and architectural photography. Following the events of 9/11, Berntsen shifted from commercial work to a more personal and exploratory practice, blending photography and sculpture in the acclaimed Dancing Leaves series. Juried into the Silvermine Guild of Artists in 2003, he began exhibiting widely, including a 2007 solo show at The National Arts Club in New York City.
A period of introspection in 2011 sparked a new creative direction rooted in meditation practices and unconventional materials. The Peel Project (2015) marked a defining moment, presenting spiraled orange peels as photographic “specimens” arranged like musical scores. His 2019 exhibition, Between Thoughts Something Happened, expanded his practice into immersive, multi-material installations. In recent years, Berntsen has focused on public art, including Passages (2020) and the politically resonant Barbwire Fence (2022) for The New Canaan Land Trust Sculpture Trail, followed by provocative works such as Barbwire Chair and Looking Glass, which interrogates the U.S. Supreme Court motto “Equal Justice Under Law.”
Berntsen also designs exhibitions for museums, libraries, and galleries, and operates a framing business dedicated to artists and designers. His work is deeply informed by his interests in psychology, archaeology, mythology, and philosophy, lending his art both symbolic richness and intellectual depth.
To inquire about the availability of Thomas Berntsen's work, call Silvermine Gallery at 203-966-9700 x 220
Credits:
Silvermine Arts Center