Finding out last night that Art’s wife, Sherri Decembrini died made me feel hopeless. With my Rosemary’s death on December 9 2020 I have not gotten over it and I know that there is nothing you can tell a person whose spouse has died that can help in any way. This is something one has to navigate alone.

Zippy's birthday Sept 7 2014

Art Bergmann has been part of my life since 1977  We are friends.

March 2009

On a positive note in these dark days I would like to bring up the subject of Ukraine. This is a Ukraine before the terrible invasion of the country by Putin’s hordes.

In years back I liked to say that Malcolm Parry’s office at Vancouver Magazine was like Ukraine. I believe that there are no tall mountains there. The country has suffered invasions from west to east or east and back for centuries with no way of stopping them.

Malcolm Parry’s office always had its door open. Politicians, thugs, boxers, actors, prostitutes, rock stars, writers, photographers, policemen, etc all were welcomed to Parry’s office. And because I was often in that room I met all those people and somehow photographed many of them.

Because of Les Wiseman’s In One Ear rock column in that magazine and since Wiseman was a music critic snob (most music critics are), he liked Art Bergmann. Bergmann became a frequent subject of his column and I was the assigned photographer.

I have no memory as to why I went to Art and Sherri’s pad near Oak Street to take the kitchen and bed photographs. All I know is that there does not seem to be one bad image in the whole lot. 

The couple trusted me and thanks to that these photographs are as good as they could possibly be.

In the months that follow Art will have a difficult time. I have found that writing my blog has helped me deal with my grief. Perhaps Art will now write some of the best songs of his life, after all Sherri was a companion of inspiration.

With Art's parents

March 2009