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Robert Bateman
Robert Bateman's passion for the natural world is not only depicted in his books and artworks, but it is clearly in his soul. His unwavering dedication to the preservation of the world's threatened and endangered species is further evidenced through his involvement and participation on numerous conservation boards and advisory committees. He is steadfast in his conviction that "small is beautiful" and understands that growing too fast means losing some of the values that we hold so dear.
"I can't conceive of anything being more varied and rich and handsome than the planet earth. And its crowning beauty is the natural world. I want to soak it up, understand it as well as I can, and to absorb it.... and then I would like to put it together and express it in my painting. This is the way I want to dedicate my life.
"From the age of twelve I was a serious artist. I never doubted I would always be an artist, but never expected to make my living at it. That is why I went into teaching as a meal-ticket so I could paint to please myself and not the market. I evolved through various phases in my 20's and 30's from Group of Seven to abstract expressionism, always depicting, even in the abstracts, nature and wilderness. I didn't sell anything until I was 35 and I was a full-time high school teacher until I was 46.
"In the mid-60's (in my mid-30's) I moved into my present style because of my reverence for the particularity of every square inch of the biosphere. The best things in life are not free any more. Clean air, clean water and the song of a bird (with all that this implies about our ecosystems) used to be free. Now these things cost money. If we want to have them, we have to spend. I couldn't show biological specificity in general globs of paint."
"A man is destroyed by the inner conviction of uselessness. No amount of social growth can compensate for such losses."
". . . the human being, defined by Thomas Aquinas as a being with brains and hands, enjoys nothing more than to be creatively, usefully, productively engaged with both his hands and his brains."
"Above anything else there is need for a proper philosophy of work which understands work not as that which it has indeed become, an inhuman chore as soon as possible to be abolished by automation, but as something decreed by Providence for the good of man's body and soul'. Next to the family, it is work and the relationships established by work that are the true foundations of society. If the foundations are unsound, how could society be sound?
"The guidance we need for this work cannot be found in science and technology. It can still be found in the traditional wisdom of mankind." (taken from Robert Bateman's Reflections found at www.batemanideas.com)
Born in Toronto, Canada, Bateman attended the University of Toronto and the Ontario College of Education. He was a teacher of art and geography for 20 years, as well as a lecturer and resource person in art, photography, nature and conservation.
His special achievements include 10 honorary doctorates in fine arts, law, and science. Many honours and awards have been bestowed on him, and include, among others, the Queen Elizabeth Silver and Golden Jubilee Medals, the Governor General's Award for Conservation, the Officer of the Order of Canada, the World Wildlife Fund Member of Honour Award, presented to him by His Royal Highness Prince Philip, and his nomination as one of the 20th Century's 100 Champions of Conservation by the Audubon society.
His exceptional works have been exhibited all over the world -- in Monaco, Tokyo, South Africa, England, Washington DC and other U.S. venues, and all across Canada.
Special Commissions to his credit include The Canada Post Endangered Species Postage Stamp Series 1976-1981; the World Wildlife Fund Endangered Species Silver Bowl; Government of Canada wedding gift to His Royal Highness Price Charles; and the Royal Canadian Mint Platinum Polar Bear Coin Series.
Bateman has numerous books (including children's books) to his credit. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the National Film Board of Canada have produced several documentaries featuring his works and his life.
He holds membership and directorship in nearly 40 arts and conservation boards and advisory councils, which includes the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts; The Canadian Wildlife Federation; The Sierra Club; the Audubon Society; Jane Goodall Institute; Pollution Probe; Kenya Wildlife Fund.
Some of his permanent collections are housed in the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Denver Art Museum, the Glenbow Museum as well as with His Royal Highness Prince Charles, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Her Royal Highness the late Princess Grace of Monaco, and His Royal Highness Bernhard, Prince of the Netherlands.
Robert Bateman resides with his wife in Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada.
For more information on Robert Bateman, please visit: www.robertbateman.ca .
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