Fran Bull
Encyclopedia
Fran Bull is an American
artist living and working in the United States
and Barcelona
, Spain
.
Bull became known originally for her Photorealism
paintings made in the mid 1970’s and 80’s. Among her most famous Photorealist works are Flamingo Stereopticon, Lincoln Center Reclining Figure and Winged Narcissus. This earlier work was influenced by her mentor and ex-husband, Malcolm Morley
and by the Pop spirit of Photorealism. It was shown and sold through the Louis K. Meisel
Gallery in New York City
and has been collected widely in Kansas City
through the Morgan Gallery, owned before her death by curator and gallerist Myra Morgan. During this time, Bull was one of the most noted photo-realists along with Morley.
In the late 1980’s, Bull’s art began to develop towards abstraction
, or neo-abstract expressionism. Instead of seeking to depict the familiar, touchable surfaces of this world, Bull felt compelled to investigate and capture the teeming, yet unseen forces giving rise to those surfaces. In her break-through series of paintings The Magdalene Cycle (1992) for example, the large canvases seem to lay bare the hidden energies and biomorphic entities that animate and enliven the physical realm.
Sparked by her newfound approach to painting, in the mid 1990’s Bull began to explore other media. Since that time her artistic output has included performance art
, sculpture
, mixed media
, and printmaking
, as well as painting
. She has been especially prolific in the area of printmaking, creating numerous bodies of work in collaboration with master printer Virgili Barbara at Taller 46, a prestigious printmaking studio in Barcelona, Spain. At the height of their careers, Picasso, Tàpies
, Miró
and Saura
also worked in this place with the founder and father of Virgili, Joan Barbara.
In 2003 Bull’s award-winning series of carborundum etchings entitled Barcelona! (2001), was exhibited at Gallerie Universitini, in Plzeň, Czech Republic
. The Barcelona! etchings are surging pictures whose influences are redolent of those natural structures created by the forces of wind, water and organic process. Bull has produced many diverse series of etchings that continue to be exhibited worldwide.
Bull’s most recent works on canvas, Dark Matter (2008), are relief or sculptural paintings. Bull uses the term “topographies” to describe these works. The images in the Dark Matter series appear to be growing off the canvas, and, like her earlier abstract paintings, they appear to be covering and uncovering at once, the mysteries dwelling below the visible surfaces of this world.
To the question: what are your influences and inspirations, Bull replies: The whole world, everything I see, read, learn, hear, all the art ever made, all the music, poetry and literature- what James Hillman
calls the Gloria Duplex—the glorious, amazing and paradoxical array of everything.
When she is not working in Barcelona, Bull lives and works in Vermont
, where in 2005 she founded Gallery in-the-Field, a fine art gallery and performance space, whose mission is to present the work of provocative, innovative living artists.
Bull began her study of art at The Newark Museum, in Newark, New Jersey
. She went on to study painting at Bennington College
with Paul Feeley, and in 1980 she earned an M.A. degree from New York University
in Fine Art
and Art Education.
Along with the production of her own art, Bull teaches in universities and art schools throughout the United States and abroad.
Fran Bull is represented by Walker Fine Art in Denver, Colorado
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist living and working in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Bull became known originally for her Photorealism
Photorealism
Photorealism is the genre of painting based on using the camera and photographs to gather information and then from this information creating a painting that appears photographic...
paintings made in the mid 1970’s and 80’s. Among her most famous Photorealist works are Flamingo Stereopticon, Lincoln Center Reclining Figure and Winged Narcissus. This earlier work was influenced by her mentor and ex-husband, Malcolm Morley
Malcolm Morley
Malcolm Morley is an English artist now living in the United States. He is best known as a photorealist.-Early life:Morley was born in north London. He had a troubled childhood, and did not discover art until serving a three-year stint in Wormwood Scrubs prison...
and by the Pop spirit of Photorealism. It was shown and sold through the Louis K. Meisel
Louis K. Meisel
Louis K. Meisel is an American published author and the founder and proponent of the photorealist art movement, coining the term in 1969. He is also the owner of one of the earliest art galleries located in SoHo at 141 Prince Street...
Gallery in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and has been collected widely in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
through the Morgan Gallery, owned before her death by curator and gallerist Myra Morgan. During this time, Bull was one of the most noted photo-realists along with Morley.
In the late 1980’s, Bull’s art began to develop towards abstraction
Abstraction
Abstraction is a process by which higher concepts are derived from the usage and classification of literal concepts, first principles, or other methods....
, or neo-abstract expressionism. Instead of seeking to depict the familiar, touchable surfaces of this world, Bull felt compelled to investigate and capture the teeming, yet unseen forces giving rise to those surfaces. In her break-through series of paintings The Magdalene Cycle (1992) for example, the large canvases seem to lay bare the hidden energies and biomorphic entities that animate and enliven the physical realm.
Sparked by her newfound approach to painting, in the mid 1990’s Bull began to explore other media. Since that time her artistic output has included performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
, sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, mixed media
Mixed media
Mixed media, in visual art, refers to an artwork in the making of which more than one medium has been employed.There is an important distinction between "mixed-media" artworks and "multimedia art". Mixed media tends to refer to a work of visual art that combines various traditionally distinct...
, and printmaking
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
, as well as painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. She has been especially prolific in the area of printmaking, creating numerous bodies of work in collaboration with master printer Virgili Barbara at Taller 46, a prestigious printmaking studio in Barcelona, Spain. At the height of their careers, Picasso, Tàpies
Antoni Tàpies
Antoni Tàpies i Puig, 1st Marquess of Tàpies is a Catalan painter. He is one of the most famous European artists of his generation. After studying law for 3 years, he devoted himself from 1943 onwards only to his painting...
, Miró
Joan Miró
Joan Miró i Ferrà was a Spanish Catalan painter, sculptor, and ceramicist born in Barcelona.Earning international acclaim, his work has been interpreted as Surrealism, a sandbox for the subconscious mind, a re-creation of the childlike, and a manifestation of Catalan pride...
and Saura
Antonio Saura
Antonio Saura was a Spanish artist and writer, one of the major post-war painters to emerge in Spain in the fifties whose work has marked several generations of artists and whose critical voice is often remembered.-Biography:He began painting and writing in 1947 in Madrid while suffering from...
also worked in this place with the founder and father of Virgili, Joan Barbara.
In 2003 Bull’s award-winning series of carborundum etchings entitled Barcelona! (2001), was exhibited at Gallerie Universitini, in Plzeň, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. The Barcelona! etchings are surging pictures whose influences are redolent of those natural structures created by the forces of wind, water and organic process. Bull has produced many diverse series of etchings that continue to be exhibited worldwide.
Bull’s most recent works on canvas, Dark Matter (2008), are relief or sculptural paintings. Bull uses the term “topographies” to describe these works. The images in the Dark Matter series appear to be growing off the canvas, and, like her earlier abstract paintings, they appear to be covering and uncovering at once, the mysteries dwelling below the visible surfaces of this world.
To the question: what are your influences and inspirations, Bull replies: The whole world, everything I see, read, learn, hear, all the art ever made, all the music, poetry and literature- what James Hillman
James Hillman
James Hillman was an American psychologist. He studied at, and then guided studies for, the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich, founded a movement toward archetypal psychology and retired into private practice, writing and traveling to lecture, until his death at his home in Connecticut on October 27,...
calls the Gloria Duplex—the glorious, amazing and paradoxical array of everything.
When she is not working in Barcelona, Bull lives and works in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, where in 2005 she founded Gallery in-the-Field, a fine art gallery and performance space, whose mission is to present the work of provocative, innovative living artists.
Bull began her study of art at The Newark Museum, in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. She went on to study painting at Bennington College
Bennington College
Bennington College is a liberal arts college located in Bennington, Vermont, USA. The college was founded in 1932 as a women's college and became co-educational in 1969.-History:-Early years:...
with Paul Feeley, and in 1980 she earned an M.A. degree from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
in Fine Art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
and Art Education.
Along with the production of her own art, Bull teaches in universities and art schools throughout the United States and abroad.
Fran Bull is represented by Walker Fine Art in Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
External links
- http://www.franbull.com
- http://www.galleryinthefield.com
- http://www.walkerfineart.com
- http://www.carvingstudio.org/
- http://www.designerscarvesbymarlena.com/Meet%20Fran%20Bull.html