a photo, and then, using graphics software, tile the images as a pattern. The result is beautifully intricate prints that transform the original image into entirely new compositions. Behind work this lively and expressive, you might expect to find an eccentric, outgoing personality along the lines of Joan Miró or Pablo Picasso, but in person Bateman’s as reserved as his work is colorful and imaginative. His studio, like his outer demeanor, is orderly and quiet, a little island of private introspection among the bustling shops of downtown Nashville. And as for background information, Bateman prefers to keep the spotlight on his work, providing minimal detail about his personal life. Originally from New Jersey, he studied in Colorado and lived in New York City as a professional artist for many years. He followed a friend who moved to Brown County, and here he is. The rest is on canvas. To learn more about Bill Bateman and his artwork, visit <billbateman-artwork.com>. Gallery visits are by appointment at (929) 213-6300 or <bateman.bill@outlook.com>.
Kaleidoscopic pattern.
flat shapes. Strong through lines, visually rhyming elements, and the careful placement of color unify and stabilize Bateman’s pieces, but also lend them a lively, humming quality. The final piece of the puzzle, for Bateman, is what his audience themselves bring to his work. In the tradition of the surrealists of the twentieth century, he relies on the viewer’s subconscious associations to “complete” his paintings. What we see in a piece, then, has as much to do with our own psychological reactions and individual experience as with Bateman’s intent and execution. A true artist, Bateman’s always branching out with his new ideas. In addition to his paintings, Bill creates kaleidoscopic works based on photographs he takes. He’ll isolate a small detail in
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