Higher Aim of Art Presents Bo Bartlett

Bo Bartlett
Bo Bartlettt

“The whole thing is a great mystery – and our job is to paint about it. And to wake up in the mystery, and help others wake up in the mystery.”

That was just one of the philosophical nuggets, acclaimed realist artist Bo Barlett brought to his presentation “Let Your Root Feed Your Crown.” This latest entry in The Higher Aim of Art lecture series drew a large crowd to Studio Incamminati’s fifth-floor studio on a snowy Friday night.

While Bartlett said that every life experience can work its way into art, the key is context. “I think that context is so important,” said. “Everything means something else in a different context. You have to be able to understand what your paintings are about.” For example, he explained, an artist growing up in Brooklyn will produce work that looks different than someone in a rural setting. One sees the geometric buildings, crowds graffiti and the other sees country stores, livestock and farm fields.

He also tried to capture what drives the artist to create. “We learn to draw and paint, we want do it from the time we are little kids – we just do it instinctively. We just draw and we just paint. We can’t help it! “ he said.” Its a little inkling and an instinct…it’s our job to bring that to fruition. Not to deskill, but to skill! And if we skill, and skill, and skill – and if we need to deskill, then you deskill, but you learn. You keep learning and absorbing from every source. Then you start driving all of the horses at once.”

The Higher Aim of Art is a continuing series of presentations of renowned artists who discuss personal creative philosophies in a thought-provoking conversation on professional practice. The program is free to all art students.