Lisa Myers Bulmash

Lisa Myers Bulmash
Bothell, Washington, USA

STATEMENT

To paraphrase the artist David Hammons, my aim is to mess around with symbols to create outrageously magical things.

As a visual artist, I am obsessed with joining elements that seem to have no relationship to each other. As an artist parent, I am driven to spotlight the contradictory narratives in American society that marginalize the most vulnerable. These collisions of ideas lead me to work in three mediums: collage, assemblage sculpture, and altered books.

In each medium, I explore issues of identity, trust, and imperfect memories. My collages layer translucent images over opaque scenes to illustrate how the past continues to shape the present. Assemblage sculptures combine 2D and 3D elements to flesh out flattened narratives attached to the Black body. Niches and tiny containers in my altered books compel the viewer to adjust focus onto the individual realities hidden in our shared myths.

I choose to center African American and female experiences, to expand the classical practice of using an individual narrative to illuminate the general human condition. My hope is that my symbolic language creates a much-needed magic for the viewer, especially those who experience a daily sense of erasure or isolation.

BIO

Lisa Myers Bulmash is a collage and book artist who works primarily in acrylics, paper, and found objects. Informally trained, Myers Bulmash began her career making handmade cards. After her father’s death in 2006, the artist felt compelled to take more personal risks in her creative life. Questions of identity, trust, and the imperfect memory now drive most of her work. The artist aims to nudge the viewer into recognizing our shared stories, especially those narratives that are usually experienced in isolation.

Collage work by Myers Bulmash resides in two city art collections: Shoreline and Seattle. The latter includes art by Dale Chihuly, Barbara Earl Thomas and Kara Walker. She is also the winner of a Sustainable Arts Foundation grant, an award to support artists with children under age 18. The artist’s work and commentary have been highlighted in five books as well. She exhibits her work in group and solo shows throughout the Seattle metro area. On the East Coast of the United States, Myers Bulmash is represented by Morton Fine Art Gallery in Washington, DC.

ARTIST CONTACT

[click to email]
www.lisamb.com

IMAGES