TRINE BUMILLER

Statement & Resume  

Paintings

"Riverbed" oil on canvas, triptych, 12"x 36" 2002

Trine Bumiller’s paintings can be described as postulations about the devastating effects of nature at war with itself.  Each work consists of two or three panels presenting the hypothesis that Mother Nature is an unfit parent and, given the opportunity, would eat her young.  Bumiller attempts to create order out of chaos by isolating various elements in diptychs and triptychs and forcing comparisons.  One panel presents the cause – drought, flood, fires, and frost – while subsequent panels often reflect the effect of nature vs. nature.

The color scheme is somber, at times ominous; scale and referents jump from the molecular to the cosmic.  The linear elements of lightning bolts, cell structures, branches, and river systems are combined with softer, biomorphic shapes suggesting burning embers, rain drops, snow or light bouncing off the surface of water.  Bumiller draws inspiration from the harsh realities of nature and the constant struggle of survival.  Naturally occurring patterns create a rhythm and symmetry in the work that also reflect the broader theme of the lifecycle renewing itself.