ARTIST STATEMENT
The human body is a language in and of itself, a form of communication, effective at sharing humanity’s stories once learned and practiced. I use the human figure to personify broader abstractions and intersections, like climate change and patriarchy and war, presenting a familiar form to open dialogue and let connections take root. My art is a political commentary on our society, which views women and the planet as dispensable objects for exploit, is desensitized to the violence of racist and colonial oppression, and survives by extracting value from the many for the benefit of the few. If my anger at these injustices is expressed in the marks of paint on canvas, then my enduring hope is the brush which sets them in place. I believe change will happen, if only we act and lean on one another in solidarity. So, I paint, collecting and documenting experiences in real time, and learning as I go, like gathering symptoms to make a diagnosis of our current condition. Armed with that knowledge, we can collectively administer treatment, and nurse a healthier world into existence.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Brooke Bartholomew is a figurative oil painter, registered nurse, and community organizer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her artwork infuses a classically-inspired approach to the figure with contemporary sociopolitical commentary. Born and raised near Houston, Texas, she studied figure drawing under Mark Greenwalt before earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas Medical Branch in 2015. After working as a pediatric cardiac ICU nurse for nearly a decade, she received her Master of Fine Art in Painting and Drawing from the Academy of Art University in 2023. Her main body of work, Two Degrees Warmer, explores the convergence of two distinct themes, feminism and anti-capitalist environmentalism. Brooke’s art has been showcased in solo and group exhibits in Minneapolis, Chicago, and New Orleans.
© Brooke Bartholomew