Fran Bull facts for kids

Fran Bull (born in 1938) is an American artist. She is known for her sculptures, paintings, and printmaking. Fran Bull lives and works in Brandon, Vermont in the United States and in Barcelona, Spain.

Early Life and Learning

Fran Bull loved art from a young age. As a child, she often visited the Newark Museum of Art in New Jersey. She studied art there.

Later, she went to Bennington College. She graduated in 1960 with degrees in Music and Art. In 1980, she earned a master's degree in Art and Art Education from New York University.

Fran Bull's Art Career

Early Art: Photorealism

In the 1970s and 80s, Fran Bull became famous for her Photorealism paintings. Photorealism is an art style where paintings look like very detailed photographs. Some of her well-known Photorealist works include Flamingo Stereopticon and Winged Narcissus. Her early work was shown at the Louis K. Meisel Gallery in New York City.

Moving Towards Abstract Art

In the late 1980s, Fran Bull's art style changed. She began to create abstract art. This style is also called neo-abstract expressionism. Instead of painting things that look real, she wanted to show unseen forces. She explored the hidden energies that create the world around us.

The Magdalene Cycle

For example, in her series The Magdalene Cycle (1992), her large paintings show hidden energies. These energies seem to bring the physical world to life.

Exploring New Art Forms

After her new approach to painting, Bull started exploring other art forms. Since the mid-1990s, her art has included performance art, sculpture, mixed media, and printmaking. She has created many prints with master printer Virgili Barbara. They work at Taller 46, a famous printmaking studio in Barcelona, Spain. Famous artists like Picasso and Miró also worked there.

The Barcelona! Etchings

In 2003, Bull's series of carborundum etchings called Barcelona! (2001) was shown. These etchings are powerful pictures. They show influences from nature, like wind, water, and growing things. Bull's etchings are still shown around the world.

Dark Matter Series

Bull's more recent paintings are called Dark Matter (2008). These works are like relief or sculptural paintings. Bull calls them "topographies." The images in Dark Matter seem to grow off the canvas. They explore the mysteries hidden beneath the world's visible surfaces.

Art About War: In Flanders Fields

In 2009, Bull showed In Flanders Fields: A Meditation on War. This art series was inspired by the poem In Flanders Fields. The poem was written by a soldier during World War I. Bull was a child during World War II. She wanted to show the sadness of war and hope for peace. Her art used symbols from the poem, like flying larks and poppy fields. This series has been shown in many galleries and museums.

Inspirations and Gallery Work

When asked about her inspirations, Bull says she is inspired by everything. This includes all the art, music, poetry, and literature ever made.

When she is not working in Barcelona, Bull lives in Vermont. In 2005, she started Gallery in-the-Field there. This gallery shows art from new and exciting artists.

Fran Bull also teaches art at universities and art schools. Her art is represented by Walker Fine Art in Denver, Colorado.

Books by Fran Bull

In 1990, Fran Bull worked with Ann Salwey on an artist's book called Mordant Rhymes for Modern Times.

In 2001, she co-wrote another artist's book in Barcelona. It was called Balm of Dreams = Bálsamo de mis sueños. This book combined Carolyn Corbett's love poems with Bull's copper plate etchings.