George Bair

Artist Statement

With my drawings and etchings, I am trying to capture the technique and emotion that we experience when viewing works of the past. I am greatly influenced by the art of Claude Lorrain, JMW Turner, and Thomas Moran. I have studied and collected the prints of these artists for many years. And I have spent many memorable hours examining their works and wondering: How was something so beautiful created? There’s an affinity in the work of these artists that I aspire to create in my work.

I have a particular fondness for ancient structures such as those found in Europe, particularly Venice, and those found in the Southwest, particularly New Mexico. Our visual response to them creates fascinating geometries due to foreshortening and perspective that I strive to accurately portray.  These structures are built from various natural products, mostly stones, which result in textures that I am challenged to reproduce with pencil, pen, and etching needle.

But mostly it is the atmosphere – the light, the water, the sky  – that play on the structures to create the highlights and shadows, the reflections, and the positive/negative space that provide the impressions that I  strive to capture in my compositions and convey to my viewers.

Nowhere do the structures, natural materials, and atmosphere come together to provide such extraordinary scenes as in Venice and New Mexico. Thus, the subjects of my current exhibition come a century or two after similar scenes by Claude, Turner, and Moran.

Biography

Date and place of birth:  1948, Springfield, Missouri      

Education: 1976, PhD EE, University Of Mo-Rolla

                  1974, MS EE, University Of Mo-Rolla

                  1973, BS EE, University Of Mo-Rolla

 

Art Education:

2007 Master Class in Etching, Arie Furumoto, New Grounds Print Workshop

2006 Master Class in Etching, Takahiko Hayashi, New Grounds Print Workshop

          Life Drawing, Joshua Fallik, Scottsdale Art School

          Life Drawing, Sherrie McGraw, Fredericksburg Art School

2005   Life Drawing, Sherrie McGraw, Scottsdale Art School

2004   Non-toxic Etching, Regina Held, New Grounds Print Workshop

          Mezzotint Printmaking, Laurent Scholnyk, New Grounds Print Workshop

          Pastel Painting, Jerry Hunsinger, Wildwood Galleries

2004 - 2006 Richland College, Texas

Major Collections:

Proyecto Ace, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Wolverhampton College, Wolverhampton, U.K.

Albuquerque Museum

Museo de la Estampa, Mexico City

University of Denver; Denver, CO

Mount Mercy College, Cedar Rapids, IA

UNM Law School, Albuquerque, NM

UNM Hospital, Albuquerque, NM

Loyola College, Baltimore, MD

Roland Park Country School, Baltimore, MD

Richland College, Dallas, TX

Fayettville State University, NC

Austin Peay State University, Clarksville TN

Western University, Silver City, New Mexico

Wolverhampton College, Wolverhampton, England

Exhibitions:

2008: Ancient Walls, New Grounds Gallery, Albuquerque, NM    

         Made in New Mexico, Proyecto Ace, Buenos Aires, Argentina

        Made in New Mexico, Wolverhampton College, Wolverhampton, U.K.

2006: Print Portfolio X2, Richland College, Dallas, TX

2005: Introducing, New Grounds Gallery, Albuquerque, NM

         Richland College Art Exhibit, Richland, Texas. 1st place drawing