Bartholomew Lynch
Bartholomew Lynch
Born outside of San Francisco in Walnut Creek, in the same year and the with same nick-name as the mass transit system of the Bay Area, I moved with family before the end of my first year, yet am amazed to return to that area and find absolute comfort with the colors. I spent the next 15 years, formative as they were, in Stone Mountain, Georgia. That big hump of granite continues to grow as I age. Erosion at it’s base outpaces it’s upward transformation to sand. The next 15 years were spent in the greater Phoenix area, which is greater now than then. Dense and sprawling, development spreads across the farm land which replaced desert land in the valley once dams were in place to harvest and control the water. A walkabout brought me to Seattle where hills and water meet to nurture amazing life, and I met Crisha Yantis, my wife. We moved to Athens, GA and continued our education - mine in the painting and drawing Masters program, and Crisha completed her Undergraduate degree in ceramics both at the University of Georgia. We bought a house, adopted some chickens and ejoyed the time living in the south with songs floating in the underbrush. Crisha's education brought us to Linoln, NE where she completed her Masters in Ceramics at University of Nebraska - Lincoln (UNL). We continued to build our professional practice through research, creating/exhibiting artwork and teaching at Doane College, UNL and Lux Center for the Arts. 'The Good Life' proved accurate with friendships and bounty, as we had a son, Aero Otus Lynch in Lincoln on Nov. 20 2014. I accepted a full-time Lecturer position in the Spring of 2015 at Western State Colorado University, and we moved to the high desert, nestled next to the airport of Gunnison, Colorado. We appreciate the Western Slopes's history, natural resources, and generous citizens. Our second son, Phoenix Oso Lynch, was born in Gunnison on Oct. 1, 2016. In Colorado, we were fortunate to enjoy two winters and one summer with our two sons. Once more in the Pacific Northwest in Olympia, WA, we continue to gain inspiration from the environment and tell stories of the places we have been.
My studio work explores a contemporary human narrative through a blended language of realism and abstraction primarily using the drawing, painting and printmaking disciplines. A slow process of building form and space using additive and subtractive techniques allows for a prolonged investigation of physical and metaphysical spaces. I appreciate and employ conventions of historical imagery using classical concepts of space, figuration and narrative. The work interweaves contemporary issues with design, composition and concept as tools that guide an unraveling expression of ideas and emotion. Like a hike or journey, I begin with a goal and a direction then let the mark-making experience evolve. Morphology and psychology inspire me, offering further inquiry with each revelation, and ideas develop from a union of the mind, action of the body and a relationship with tools. Expressive figures often occupy the space, conveying meaning to the viewer through gazes, gestures, and relationships. In the picture plane, written words and phrases serve to mark poetic moments during the process and reinforce perceptual flatness. The natural world figures prominently in my work where flora and fauna provide context for the space. Concepts of technology and spirit influence me equally, and humor persists. The artwork explores life with an open-ended, humanitarian goal summarized by a desire to contribute positive momentum to the seemingly entropic system of our modern world. My method includes working on multiple pieces concurrently and pursuing a theme through different media. Teaching, research, still life studies, plein air paintings and figure drawing are routine practices that keep my skill current and inform my studio work.
