Brian Bateman – An artist’s journey through history.
I am a historical artist. Keeping our past in the present is how I like to think about what I do, ensuring that not only past generations remember historical figures and events, but also the upcoming generations that should know where we came from and where we may go based on this past. I did not call on the genre, it called on me – a calling that resides within me to this day, whatever subject that I chose to depict.
It has been this way since I was a child growing up in Dayton, Ohio in the early 1960s. My particular love of historical events from our past motivates my desire to keep alive the events within our nation’s history as well as world history. Native American culture within the old west is a favorite subject as this way of life and spiritual thought is something that fascinates me with my subjects depicted through hours of research and conversations with notable historians. Military aviation and the men/women and machines flown within these events are also a favorite subject that I have been involved with for 30 years, and I am currently serving as the Vice President of the American Society of Aviation Artists (ASAA), a national group of select aviation artists dedicated to the preservation of military, naval, and historical events and have been an Artist Member for over 10 years. I have been honored with awards with my depictions of some of these historical based events over my tenure as well as being a presenter/instructor at the yearly forums which focuses on teaching select subject matter.
I was in the graphic design field for 30 years for various agencies and studios before my move into the fine art world, and am currently with several western art galleries A.Banks Gallery in Bozeman Montana and Lovetts Fine Gallery located in Tulsa Oklahoma and the Coeur d’Alene Miniatures by the Lake Show. My aviation artwork is represented by Aviation Art Hangar based in MD and myself. Various national western art shows that I have had the privilege to attend include the Bosque Art Classic in TX, The Mountain Oyster Club Western Art Show and Sale in Tucson AZ, Cheyenne Art Show in WY, Montana Miniatures Art Show, March in Montana Art Auction and The Out West Show in MT. I also have my art hanging in the National Museum of the United States Air Force located in Dayton OH, The San Diego Air and Space Museum in San Diego CA and numerous private collections in the US, Australia and Europe.
