marten berkman

art, film, photography of the Earth

About

Bio / CV Art / CV Commercial

Biography

Marten Berkman was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1961, studied visual arts and geography, and has explored landscapes around the world with his cameras. The north is his home and inspiration, where he lives and plays with his family upstream from Whitehorse, Yukon.

From an appreciation of the Earth and the life upon it, Marten focuses his eyes and lens on landscapes and their inhabitants. His still images appear regularly in solo and group exhibits, in magazines such as Canadian Geographic and Up Here, and in books including "Three Rivers" and the limited edition "Chasms of Silence", a portfolio of his black and white high arctic work. As a film maker, his videography, artistic and photographic direction appear in Yukon dramas, documentaries, and multimedia presentations which have been shown across Canada and internationally. His film "Yukon Quest 2004", following the 1600 kilometer/1000 mile subarctic sled dog race, joined the 2004/2005 Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour. His film "Three Rivers: wild waters, sacred places" from his journeys with other artists in the Peel Watershed joins the fine art exhibit of the same name on its international gallery tour. He is currently working on a project entitled "Remote Sensibility". Incorporating new media art installations, photo montage and film, "Remote Sensibility" explores industrial global culture's immaterial relationship with wild and remote places.

Marten's infatuation with light in the landscape has earned him the title "Photomanix" at druids conventions, and initiated far too many unnecessary search parties when he fails to show up in camp.

CV - Art

Visual Artist - Photography/Videography/Film/Multimedia/Painting/Drawing

Educational History

Diploma in Visual Arts - John Abbott College, Montreal, Quebec (1978-80)

Studies in Visual Arts - Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec (1981-85)

B.A. Geography, special studies Human Adaptation - McGill University, Montreal, Quebec (1981-85)

Awards/Scholarships/Residencies

2005 - Banff Centre Scholarship: Optic Nerve thematic artist's residency

2005 - World Wilderness Congress Certificate of Merit for the film "Three Rivers: wild waters, sacred places"

2005 - Waterwalker Film Festival Honourable Mention for the film "Three Rivers: wild waters, sacred places"

2005 - Yukon Film Maker"s Fund

2003 - Yukon Arts Fund

2003 - Yukon Film Maker's Fund

1992 - Yukon Advanced Artist's Award

1990 - Arctic Awareness Grant (Canada Council for the Arts, Polar Continental Shelf Project)

Supplementary Training

John Walker: Documentary Film (2006)

Velcrow Ripper: Sound Design (2005)

Mark Hill: Screen Writing (2002)

John Banovich: Cinematography (2002)

Peter Wintonick: Social Documentary (2001)

Laura Taler: Dance Documentary (2000/1)

Multimedia Performance

2002 - "Reality Check"; "Moon Time Line", at Brave New Works, Whitehorse (videography)

1999 - "Arctic Silence", at Brave New Works, Whitehorse (photography, drawing, painting, lithography, poetry, music)

Photographic Collaborative Work

1995 - "Celebration of Swans" Jerry Alfred concert multimedia (photography)

1993,1994,1995, 1996 - "Yukon Wild" Matthew Lien concert multimedia (photography)

1994 - "Land[e]scapes" play by Leslie Hamson (photography, Jessie Award nominee)

1993 - "Running on Frozen Air" play by Gord McCall (photography, image design and sequencing)

Books

(exclusive)

Chasms of Silence (Berkman, Folio Gallery/ Waterous, 1999, ISBN 0-9680175-4-1):

limited edition portfolio of high arctic black and white landscape photography, with a foreword by poet and novelist Anne Michaels (finalist, Banff Mountain Book Awards, 2000)

(contributor)

Life of Water (Photosensitive, 2005, ISBN 0-9687061-1-8)

Three Rivers: the Yukon's Great Boreal Wilderness (Harbour Publishing, 2005, ISBN 1-55017-365-0/978-1-55017-365-9)

Rendezvous With the Wild: The Boreal Forest (Raffan, Boston Mills Press, 2004, ISBN: 1550464221)

Three Rivers: wild waters, sacred places (YAC Public Art gallery, 2004, ISBN: 0-9699219-4-2)

Solo Photography Exhibits

2006 - "Elements" - Whitehorse, Yukon (photography, fabrication)

2005 - "Experiments in Remote Sensibility" - Other Gallery, Banff Centre, Alberta (photography, installation)

2004 - "Remote Sensibility" - Whitehorse, Yukon (photography)

2003 - "Fecundity" - Whitehorse, Yukon (photography)

2002 - "Cascade of Light" - Whitehorse, Yukon (photography)

2000 - "Silence in the Sea of Cortez" - Whitehorse, Yukon (photography)

1999 - "Dancing Shadows" - Whitehorse, Yukon (photography)

1999 - "Chasms of Silence" - Whitehorse, Yukon (photography)

1992 - "Two Extremes" - Whitehorse, Yukon (photography)

1992 - "Islands" - Whitehorse, Yukon (photography)

Group Exhibits

2005 - "Begin, Bagan, Begun" - Other gallery, Banff Centre

2005 - "Life of Water" (curated by PhotoSensitive) Allen Lambert Galleria, Toronto (photography)

2004 - "Three Rivers: Wild Waters, Sacred Places" YAC Grotto Gallery, Whitehorse (photography) with Fritz Mueller and Courtney Milne

2003 - "Realism and Reality" YAC Grotto Gallery, Whitehorse (photography)

2002 - 10th Anniversary Exhibit, YAC Gallery, Whitehorse (photography, painting)

2001 - "Yukon Print Exhibition" YAC Gallery, Whitehorse (lithography)

2000 - "Convergence" Yukon Arts Center Gallery, Whitehorse (photography)

1999 - "Self" Studio Gallery, Whitehorse (painting/photography/sculpture)

1992 - "This Time, This Place" Yukon Arts Center Gallery, Whitehorse (photography)

Film/Videography: producer, director, artistic director, director of photography, camera, post production

Three Rivers (documentary, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society) 2004; d,a,dop,c,pp

Honourable Mention, Environment category, WaterWalker Film Festival, Ottawa 2005

Certificate of Merit, NatureScreen , World Wilderness Congress, Anchorage 2005

Additional Screenings: ReelHeART Film Fest (Toronto(; Global Art Film Fest (Sacramento, Los Angeles, New York, San Juan, Rio de Janeiro)

Mothers Day (drama, Richard Lawrence) 2004; dop

Winner MITY Award, Dawson City International Short Film Festival 2005

Yukon Quest 2004 (documentary, Yukon Quest International) 2004; p,d,a,dop,c,pp

Selection for Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2004-2005;

Montreal International Adventure Film Fest 2005

On Yukon Time (Yukon Tourism; Calgary, Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver) 2000-3; p,d,a,dop,c,pp

Beaver River (documentary, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society) 2003 a,pp

Reality Check; Moon Time Line (art videos, Marten Berkman) 2002 p,d,a,dop,c,pp

Santa Lucia (drama, Richard Lawrence) 2002; dop,c

Wind River (documentary, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society) 2002; d,a,dop,c,pp

This Too Shall pass; Mending Enchainement; Four Fridas (dance video, Link Dance Company) 2001; dop,c,pp

Workshops

"Light, Form and Composition" - Photography workshop, Yukon College 1994

"Photographing the Wild" - Photography workshop, Swan Haven, Yukon Government Dept. of Environment 2005, 2006

"Discovering Lives Through the Land: Sheep Habitats from the Boreal to the Arctic" - Photography workshop and presentation, Sheep and Crane Festival, Faro, Yukon 2006

Affiliations

YAAW (Yukon Artists at Work)

YAS (Yukon Art Society)

YFS (Yukon Film Society)

DCAS (Dawson City Art Society)

Back to top

CV - Commercial

Photography, Videography/Film, Artistic Direction

Educational History

Diploma in Visual Arts ≠ John Abbott College, Montreal, Quebec (1978-80)

Studies in Visual Arts ≠ Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec (1981-85)

B.A. Geography, special studies Human Adaptation - McGill University, Montreal, Quebec (1981-85)

Supplementary Training

John Walker: Documentary Film (2006)

Velcrow Ripper: Sound Design (2005)

Mark Hill: Screen Writing (2002)

John Banovich: Cinematography (2002)

Peter Wintonick: Social Documentary (2001)

Laura Taler: Dance Documentary (2000/1)

Film/Videography: producer, director, artistic director, director of photography, camera, post production

Three Rivers (documentary, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society) 2004; d,a,dop,c,pp

Honourable Mention, Environment category, WaterWalker Film Festival, Ottawa 2005

Certificate of Merit, NatureScreen , World Wilderness Congress, Anchorage 2005

Additional Screenings: ReelHeART Film Fest (Toronto); Global Art Film Fest (Sacramento, Los Angeles, New York, San Juan, Rio de Janeiro)

Mothers Day (drama, Richard Lawrence) 2004; dop

Winner MITY Award, Dawson City International Short Film Festival 2005

Yukon Quest 2004 (documentary, Yukon Quest International) 2004; p,d,a,dop,c,pp

Selection for Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2004-2005;

Montreal International Adventure Film Fest 2005

On Yukon Time (Yukon Tourism; Calgary, Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver) 2000-3; p,d,a,dop,c,pp

Beaver River (documentary, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society) 2003 a,pp

Reality Check; Moon Time Line (art videos, Marten Berkman) 2002 p,d,a,dop,c,pp

Santa Lucia (drama, Richard Lawrence) 2002; dop,c

Wind River (documentary, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society) 2002; d,a,dop,c,pp

This Too Shall pass; Mending Enchainement; Four Fridas (dance video, Link Dance Company) 2001; dop,c,pp

Still Photography for Film:

Northern Town (television series) CBC (2005)

Three Rivers: wild waters, sacred places (documentary) CPAWS (2004)

Yukon Quest (documentary) YQ (2004)

Mothers Day (drama) Richard Lawrence (2003)

Cross Cultural Sensitivity (documentary) Palladium (2003)

Husky Donπt Cry (MOW) Director Tomy Wigand (2000) (see www.martenberkman.com/huskystills for samples)

Sorel: Work, Sorel: Play (commercial) Director Ron Chapman (1998)

First Lady of the Yukon (video documentary) (1997)

Tax Tales (TV drama) PM Jacquie Fitzgerald (1996)

Cold Heart of a Killer (MOW) PM Joan Carson (1995)

Books

(exclusive)

Chasms of Silence (Berkman, Folio Gallery/ Waterous, 1999, ISBN 0-9680175-4-1):

limited edition portfolio of high arctic black and white landscape photography, with a foreword by poet and novelist Anne Michaels (finalist, Banff Mountain Book Awards, 2000)

(contributor)

Life of Water (Photosensitive, 2005, ISBN 0-9687061-1-8

Three Rivers: the Yukon's Great Boreal Wilderness (Harbour Publishing, 2005, ISBN 1-55017-365-0/978-1-55017-365-9)

Rendezvous With the Wild: The Boreal Forest (Raffan, Boston Mills Press, 2004, ISBN: 1550464221)

Three Rivers: wild waters, sacred places (YAC Public Art gallery, 2004, ISBN: 0-9699219-4-2)

Periodicals:

Canadian Geographic

American Archaeology

Up Here

Extreme

Outdoor Canada

Sea Kayaker

Canadian Journal of Environmental Education

Doctor's Review

Gardening Life

Western Living

Still Photography Clientele:

Canadian Geographic magazine

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

OutCrop

Yukon Film Commission

Yukon Government Department of Tourism

Yukon Government Department of Environment

Caribou Records

Aasman Design

Persephone Singers

Longest Night Society

Link (Yukon Professional Dance Company)

Nakai (Yukon Professional Theatre Company)

Yukon Quest (official photographer)

Icefield Instruments

Energy Solutions Center

Yukon Development Corporation

Affiliations

NFVIA (Northern Film and Video Industry Association)

DOC BC (Documentary Organisation of Canada)

Equipment List

Still

Fuji S3 12 megapixel digital SLR

Nikon F90X 35mm SLR x 2

Lenses: (all f 2.8) 17-55mm, 20mm, 35-70mm, 60mm macro, 80-200 silent wave, 1.4x, 2x

Accessories: Jacobsen sound blimp; Nikon SB-28 flash, PB-14 bellows, infra red remote shutter trigger and release, Manfrotto tripod and ball head, Cokin filter system

Pentax 6x7 120mm SLR:

Lenses: 65mm, 105mm, 165mm

Accessories: Sekonic L-508 ZoomMaster lightmeter, Manfrotto tripod and ball head, Cokin filter system

Video

Sony PD150 MiniDV / DVCam

Accessories: Century Optics 2x converter, .65x converter, Manfrotto tripod and pan head, Cokin filter system

Audio

Sennheiser ME66 shotgun microphone; Rycote Softie wind screen; Sennheiser Evolution wireless Lavalier microphone system

Post Production:

Appe G4 Quicksilver 867 w/ Superdrive, 1.5 Gb RAM, 1 Terabyte HD; Final Cut Pro 4; Adobe Photoshop 7

Back to top