RICK BARTOW (1946 - 2016)
Selected Monoprints
August 30 - Sept 30, 2017
Reception: Friday, Sept 1, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Karin Clarke Gallery 760 Willamette St. Eugene, OR. 97401 541.684.7963 kclarkegallery@mindspring.com
Rick Bartow was born in Newport, OR, in 1946. He is a member of the Wiyot tribe of Northern California. Bartow was graduated from Western Oregon University in 1969 with a degree in Secondary Art Education. After graduation, he spent a period of time in the military in Vietnam.
His work is inspired by personal experience, cultural engagement, and global myth. Native American myths of transformation are central to the imagery in much of his work. Animals and birds become men, or exchange parts with humans in fantastical ways to become new creatures.
Bartow works in a variety of mediums. This spotlight show will feature 10 large, colorful monoprints he created during residencies at the Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts in 2004, 2008 and 2013. Bartow worked with Tamarind Master Printer Frank Jansen to create these limited-edition monoprints.
Crow’s Shadow Institute is in Pendleton, Oregon and is celebrating it’s 25th anniversary with a show and catalog opening Sept 16th at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art in Salem. This exhibit will showcase 60 works from their print archives, including Bartow monoprints.
Bartow’s work has been exhibited widely in solo and group shows, nationally and internationally. He was commissioned by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the Native American to create a 20 foot tall sculpture which stands on the National Mall. In 2015, a 40-year retrospective of Bartow’s work was mounted at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art in Eugene, entitled What You Know But Cannot Explain, which is now traveling to museums around the United States.
Rick Bartow passed away April 2, 2016 at the age of 69. He is represented by Froelick Gallery in Portland and the works in this show are courtesy of
Links to articles about Rick Bartow-