Works From 2013-2018: Steve Bartlett

Maine-based artist Steve Bartlett has created a dynamic environment that features large-scale floor sculptures, wall-mounted compositions, and small objects. The exhibition also features several never-before-seen sculptures created in 2017 and 2018. Bartlett’s sculptures are crafted from ash, oak and walnut, and display the artist’s impeccable craftsmanship and inherent joy in the creative process. He utilizes steam-bent techniques for shaping and constructing the complex curves of the varied forms. Bartlett explains his sculptural process as “intuitive and evolutionary.” While the forms are enigmatic, they are also rooted in nature; their character and gestures seem to reference organic flora. A symbiotic relationship exists between the artist’s ideas and his chosen media. The work in his studio evolves in a fluid manner as the unique character of materials inform the final outcome.

Central to Bartlett’s recent works is the introduction of hard-edged painted areas, primarily in black and white. These painted elements, in the form of bands and circular notations, accentuate the curved shapes to create bold and unexpected graphic overlays. Bartlett explains “there is no direct message in his sculptures” and that he “simply hopes to engage and provoke the imagination” through organic and geometric shapes.

 

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1. Steve Bartlett (American, born 1961) Crosscut, 2017, Ash, stain, paint, varnish, Courtesy of the artist
2. Steve Bartlett (American, born 1961) Hatch, 2018, Ash, stain, paint, varnish, Courtesy of the artist