(this is carried further by 21st century so called democrats who in fact are religious tyrants,
who feel een more threatened by images than by written or spoken word -a.s.- )

The nineteenth century dislike of realism is the rage of Caliban seeing his own face in a glass.

The nineteenth century dislike of romanticism is the rage of Caliban not seeing his own face in a glass.
The moral life of man forms part of the subject-matter of the artist,
but the morality of art consists in the perfect use of an imperfect medium.
No artist desires to prove anything. Even things that are true can be proved.
No artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style.
No artist is ever morbid. The artist can express everything.
Thought and language are to the artist instruments of an art.
Vice and virtue are to the artist materials for an art.
From the point of view of form, the type of all the arts is the art of the musician.
From the point of view of feeling, the actor's craft is the type.
All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril.
Those who read the symbol do so at their peril.
It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors.
Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital.
When critics disagree, the artist is in accord with himself.
We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it.
The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely.

All art is quite useless.
OSCAR WILDE
and defenseless, (a.s.)
Alles van waarde is weerbaar
( Lucebert aka Lubertus Jacobus Swaanswijk, 15 September 1924 - 10 May 1994)

Bernard luckily has gotten his immigration to the Netherlands together in the days of apartheid. Under current law he would only be allowed into NL if his life is seriously in danger in the country of origine. Bernard's life may not have been threatened, but publishing his work, which focusses strongly on beautiful but focusses on younger boys, in South Africa was definitely impossible and would still be hard! it is so ironic that in 2010 he's just as much under threat in the Netherlands as he was in South Africa for this I feel sorry and deeply ashamed.

his sketches show an incredibly crafted hand

but the paintings focus on tender loving boys and the love shows through in the work itself

Above is the the crux of what Bernard is about: beautuful sweet tenderness beween sexually awakening angels

looks like this one left was torn up and almost destroyed but luckily saved and clumsily restored before it got thrown out and the one below is an open invitation for cave exploration, hmmmm, sweeeet !

below one more triptych:

12 new pix from here on, were added may 2003

Bernard does commission work, and it does not necessarily have to be of a sexual or nude nature.
If you are in a posision and situation that might make this feasible, do contact him through his own website.

I was very inspired by you "Harry Bush" collection ( where did you source so much of his work?) that I sat down and did a drawing myself. Please find attached the drawing "Cum", Let me know what you think of it. Thanks again, Bernard. ps. hope it's not too big a filesize!!! go to the 10th Bush gallery for the latest Bush inspired work of Bernard.

and here are the latest works of Bernard, made in the fall of 2004:

the latest one, made in the summer of 2005: and some more recent masterpieces:

left you see 4 samples of original sketches (A4), the supporters of Bernard's court case all receive in their mailbox in return for a donation of € 50,- or more. contact him through his own site for details.

or go on

to the lobby, masterclass overview or links