L.A. Bachman
Artist Statement
Children know what they like and dislike before they develop the cognitive skills to explain their personal preferences. Through this series I want to catch people with the instant visual enjoyment of the drawings and paintings before the viewer has a chance to think any further. I have found that eluding to natural shapes amidst unrecognizable ones sooths people. Recognition can be a powerful force when faced with an unknown; therefore I incorporate organic patterns, as an offering of comfort.
Biography
L. A. Bachman investigates the effects of art on developing minds both young and old. In recent works, Bachman focuses on the principals of art and design as a subject matter. She revisited the principals of art and design after teaching high school and elementary students. Over the course of a semester she observed the dually calming and alarming effects of discussing art with students. When referencing the similarities between art and sports, (hand-eye coordination) and math, (value + proportion = perspective) some of art’s mystery was taken away; the objectivity was challenged.
The myth that artists are merely gifted or have a “God-given” talent is shaken when principals are introduced. Aesthetics has a science and philosophy to be learned and studied. This hesitation of the art novice to embrace abstract images inspires Bachman to create delicate, biological, abstract drawings. These drawings possess some recognizable shapes. The work also leaves room for the viewer’s interpretation, much like a child finds objects concealed in cloud formations or a psychiatrist’s use of a Rorschach blot.
Outside of making art, Bachman takes advantage of opportunities that incorporate the arts in various forms. An ongoing facet of her involvement in the art community has been working as a studio manager and personal assistant for the nationally known artist Adrienne Outlaw. Bachman is most recently collaborating with Justin Tam and Jamie Bennett in their LP release of The Pace of Our Feet. Bachman holds a BFA from Belmont University and a K-12 teaching license from the state of Tennessee. She originates from St. Louis, Missouri where her family still lives. Travel has been an intricate part of her ongoing education. What began as a May-mester in Florence, Italy through Belmont University in 2004 has led to many more artistic pilgrimages including Toronto, Canada, London, England, and most recently, Yonago, Japan. Interacting with other cultures and the arts of those cultures affect Bachman’s personal work.