Somerville Art Matters Somerville Cable Access Television | December 2006 video
Television program dealing with art issues in the Somerville, Massachusetts, community. The video link takes you to the Somerville Art Matters blog, where you can watch the show. Resa appeared during the second half.
Graduating Class by Cate McQuaid | The Boston Globe | April 21, 2006 image
Boston is home to several strong art schools, and in April and May, most of the Master of Fine Arts degree candidates show their work. It's an opportunity to glimpse pieces by artists on the cusp of their careers. We spoke to five of this year's most promising graduates from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Massachusetts College of Art, and Boston University.
RESA BLATMAN, PAINTER | Boston University
Blatman, who went to art school before becoming a graphic designer, has returned to her painting roots at BU. Her paintings recall the creative ferment of the primordial ooze and the precision of Dutch still lifes. They swirl with color, like dark underwater eddies shot with sunlight and bubbling like champagne. Lemons and berries cluster over the luxuriant surfaces. Flowers and plants hover, more ghostly than the fruit. She'll take part in the Somerville Open Studios May 6-7.
''My paintings are all about reproduction and fertility," Blatman says. ''My husband and I tried to have children in vitro. It was grueling and depressing, and when it didn't work, [I thought] 'What am I going to do with my life now?' I decided to go back to what I love. I couldn't have children, but what happened was the birth of this oeuvre of work. . . . It's a celebration. Beauty has been an important part of my work. A lot of people make wonderful ugly paintings. I have an elegant line. I had to be honest; this is how my hand works. And a slight dark undertone makes it more interesting."
Resa Blatman: Recent Work by Cate McQuaid | The Boston Globe | July 14, 2005 image
Resa Blatman's paintings on exhibit at Soprafina represent a leap forward, as if the seeds she planted in her earlier work have sprouted and blossomed. Her earlier pieces aren't on display, but you can see some of them in Soprafina's flat files: These works on paper feature simple shapes, like seeds and boats, and are understated and elegant. In her new work, Blatman creates a sense of deep space, layering abstract forms built from intricate patterns. Often, these look like fishing nets billowing underwater.
In "Phoenix Rising," the patterns include fronds, feathers, and fish scales, even though there are no plants, birds, or fish depicted. The patterns tangle against cool green, rising up to a burst of gold leaf at the top. "The Density of Imagination Between Us and Life" has the same green background, with sinewy white-and-red netting reaching from far away into the foreground. It's dramatic work, and is occasionally too dramatic; Blatman could pare down some of her elements. That's a quibble, though. Blatman is an artist on the move.
