Back

Rick Bartow, 1946-2016

All of us at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art were tremendously fortunate to work so closely with Rick and to spend so much time in the presence of his work over the last several years as we organized the major touring exhibition and accompanying publication.  Rick was a master of materials, an exceptional colorist, and an artist without pretense. His  imagery—ranging from self-portraits to animals and spirits—had celebratory, restorative, and emotionally vital qualities. Rick was the ultimate story-teller and he made work that resonated with everyone who saw it. His mark-making was a physical and intuitive process, drawn from his own memories, traditional stories, world cultures, and other diverse influences. It was an honor to witness this process in action when visiting Rick in his studio in Newport and while observing his collaborative projects with Mika Aono in the School of Architecture and Allied Arts printmaking studio last spring. We knew his health was fragile, but we didn’t expect that he had so little time left. At least we have his work, which communicates so directly, authentically, and powerfully.