Join us for First Friday in Highlands Square, featuring Bart Hartman
UNEARTHED
3442 W 32nd Avenue
9.6.2024, 6-9pm
Meet Bridget (Bart) Hartman
My sculptures evolve from a curiosity about how the languages of music and woodworking can intersect. By exploring common concepts from each practice, such as - shape, texture, timbre, and movement - the process of creating provides an ability to engage and heighten the space it occupies. When true intention lies behind the product's curation, a hidden language comes through and speaks to the viewer- designing a memory that will live with them.
As I start my practice, I focus on material, movement, and shape. Each piece is crafted from upcycled wood, which determines the shape based on the amount of material available, its color, and how it can be cut. The shapes remain simple yet symbolic within these limitations, revealing repetitions and patterns in my subconscious language. From here, each piece provides me with curves and offcuts to start the next, connecting each sculpture like a string of words. It is my belief that over time, these words will grow into their own language, pulling the viewer into a greater conversation they, too, design when engaging with the work.
Learn more about Bart in our Q+A!
How did your business come to exist?
From 2017-2020, I started to grow my first business ~ Orpheus Music and Arts Festival. As a musician in school, I was exposed to a unique underground music scene just starting out, and by hosting house shows and line-ups at different DIY venues, I saw the community grow. In return, my shows started to grow, and it turned into a festival my friends and I hosted in Glenwood Springs at Sunlight Mountain. COVID ended this endeavor, and upon reflection, I realized my favorite role in hosting the festival was building the stage design and being a participating artist. I then got a job at a start-up fabrication shop, where I learned more about business and the craft of woodworking and design. After spending the last few years there, I pulled back my hours and became a contract worker. This has given me time to work on pieces that are true to my voice. These pieces are the beginning of “Bart Designs” - a gallery of original art pieces. This business will be a lifelong project for me, and I hope to see my craft grow in a way that creates community the way Orpheus did.
What are you known for?
Currently, I think I am better known for being a member of Denver's local band, Barbara. This project started a couple of years ago and has been an amazing musical outlet for me. Writing and performing with my best friends provides constant inspiration and keeps me grounded.
What are you currently working on?
The series I created for this show is called "UNEARTHED." It is my first attempt at bringing a fictional world I've slowly created with my sister to life. These pieces are mainly inspired by symbolic forms similar to hieroglyphs, creating a baseline of language and imagery for our world. It's been fun to excavate the aesthetics and primal language for a place we've named "Zarritva," its meaning - repetition and passion.
If you had a choice between two superpowers, being invisible or flying, which would you choose??
I would choose invisibility. I’m your classic people watcher - I love observing my surroundings, especially in chaotic settings such as restaurants or concerts. Active observation has taught me that boring doesn’t exist. It teaches your mind to slow down, revealing beauty in the banal. Being invisible would allow me to explore more moments like this without people wondering why this girl by them has completely zoned out and has a blank look to her face. Also, the thought of completely blending in with your surroundings gives me a sense of peace.
What are your thoughts about your city’s creative scene for artists, designers, crafters, makers and/or small businesses?
I’ve been in Denver for the past 8 years, and I have thoroughly enjoyed growing as an artist here. I’ve had this thought that Denver is entering its golden age as a city. It’s a very young city and somewhat small when compared to the cultures and populations of LA/NY. But it’s growing fast. This is amazing for young artists and creatives because it has an infrastructure that is accessible to creatives just starting out, giving them the ability to learn and grow their foundation. But its constant growth also allows for them to keep growing and meeting people that will challenge them. It's a tight-knit community without there being a glass ceiling when someone starts to itch for more.
Get in touch with Bart Hartman
Email: barthartmandesigns@gmail.com
Instagram: @bart_hartman_
If you are a local artist/crafter/maker/indie business owner and would like to be featured on our blog, please fill out this form or contact Ashley at ashley@westandmainhomes.com with questions...we can't wait to learn all about you!
