by Guitar Doug

 
Matthew Bazemore is a plein air (open air) painter working on the streets of Seattle, using bold brushstrokes and a vibrant palette to capture the tempos and textures of the urban landscape. Living in Ballard for the past 14 years, Matt’s artistic calling is to preserve the look and feel of the quickly changing neighborhoods in Seattle by focusing an idealized eye on the dwindling remains of Americana in a rapidly modernizing culture. Although he also paints rural landscapes, you can find him most days, rain or shine, along Ballard Avenue or on Queen Anne Hill and other Seattle neighborhoods, capturing the inherent energy that emanates from the historic buildings and landmarks. His spontaneous approach infuses a sense of life into his work, bringing attention and focus on otherwise unnoticed surroundings. His paintings are quite simply, an idealized vision of the life and history of his beloved Seattle.

During a brief trip to Europe in 2000, Matt noticed an almost intrinsic pride in both the Italian and French peoples, seemingly rooted in their coexistence with the ancient and grand remnants of their past, ­ the Coliseum in Rome, or the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. His young nephews, poking fun at some old men on a park bench in Rome, asked, “what do they do all day?” He replied, “When you live beside the home of ancient emperors and gods, why do you need to do anything?”

As he considered his own culture in the United States, he realized that even with our short history, there were far too few physical remnants of our past culture. “How can we expect to maintain any sense of cultural pride when we either destroy in the name of progress or ignore those physical reminders of where we and who we once were?” It is this passion for recognizing and preserving these examples of Americana that has becomes his muse in painting.

Theater marquees, turn of the century brick buildings, and street lights are among his favorite subjects for painting because they represent the fading legacy of our urbanized culture. Fisherman¹s Terminal with its aging yachts and fishing boats, bridges and tug boats which are part of the colorful and rich past of Seattle, all seem to come to life on the canvases of Matt Bazemore. Just as jazz, blues and rock and roll are an audible reflection of American culture, perhaps Matt’s paintings, with their own rhythm, may become a part of our visual tradition.

You can learn more about Matt Bazemore and his work at mattbazemore.com. His work is currently showing at The Collective, 5339 Ballard Avenue, N.W., Seattle, Washington 98107 through May, 2008. Matt is also available for commissions.