Michael Bartmann

View Michael's Work

Recently Michael bought a row home in South Philadelphia, which is both his house and studio.  He has been a practicing artist for over nine years; however, it is a second career for him.  Michael studied Landscape Architecture in college and then worked for many years as a designer.  However, he always took art classes and experimented with art on his own during that time.  Finally, Michael decided to take the leap and study fine art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Interestingly, his background as a designer slowly crept into his development as a painter. Eventually, his work as a designer naturally combined with his painting skills to form a vision for his artwork. The abstract, two-dimensional flat world of the drafted blue print merged with the three-dimensional illusion of the atmospheric painting world.

Creative drive:
“On the one hand, making art is something that I have always naturally done.  Starting at a very young age I was completely self-motivated and spent many hours drawing by myself; no art classes were needed.  I love to visually explore the world around me: taking it all in and then spitting it back out through a new vision; sometimes seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary or the universal in the everyday and communicating that to others.  I think of myself as a modern day explorer.  I like the idea of facing a blank canvas and not knowing exactly what is up ahead. It is exciting to take an idea, a feeling, or a word that is in my head and create a visual equivalent that reflects those initial instincts.” 

Key emotion represented in work:
“Ideally, I invite the viewer into the painting and allow him/her to roam around.  Still, there has to be irony in the work: if there is going to be joy, then there has to be sorrow.  I also like the idea of showing the residue of the entire process, which includes many emotions, in the finished work.  In other words, the viewer sees the journey, as well as the end.  However, no matter what the emotions or feelings were that led to the final result, I think there is a transparent layer of calmness and quietness blanketing the paintings that you can sink yourself into.”

What is unique about your process:

”My work usually involves a contrasting mix of the architect’s drafted line with the more chaotic marks, stains, and brush strokes of color and atmosphere.  The process starts with a fairly well thought out line of structure and space, but quickly gives way to paint.  The process cycles back and forth between construction and destruction, creating and destroying, all the while building up layers, but never completely removing or covering up previous layers.  The process always shows through.  While I am capable of making very beautiful passages and brushstrokes, I usually smash them down or scrape through them and that feels right to me.  I like to paint myself into a corner and then find a way out.”

Personal relationship with your work:
“Being artist is a difficult challenge, but I am at "home" in my studio.  When I am creating something with my mind and hands, I am being true to myself.  Making art feels authentic.  The work gives me purpose and motivation.  It is what I am meant to do.” 

Thoughts on sharing art:
“Making art is a unique and special way to connect with people.  I think it is cool to communicate with someone without using words.  You get to pass on some intangible idea or feeling to the viewer.  Hopefully, what you share with the viewer is not just the "thing," but your bliss about the "thing.”  Ideally, a painting creates a moment when the viewer's thoughts, feelings, and past experiences merge with what the artist presents on the canvas and a conversation takes place. Ultimately, a painting not only shares the artist’s vision, but also reflects back something about the viewer's self.”

Back to Meet the Artists