Burst of expression: Brad Bealmear's 'Abstractions' comes to the FOMA in Santa Fe
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After 40 years as a photographer, Brad Bealmear put down his camera, traded it in for a paintbrush, and has never looked back.
He began his photography journey at a young age, growing up in Portales. He later moved to California and then moved with his family to New York City, where he spent 20 years as a commercial photographer for clients such as Tiffany & Co.
鈥淚 just kind of got tired of it, because I got tired of the commercialism of it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was trying to get across some messages in fine art photography, but it wasn鈥檛 really working for me that well. I had a lot of artist friends, painters, and what they were doing appealed to me, so I just decided to try it, and I really liked it.鈥�
Bealmear continued to get photography requests after taking up painting in 2014.
鈥淓verybody was still wanting me to photograph for them,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was like taking up all my time. So I just sold my equipment so that they couldn鈥檛 ask me that anymore.鈥�
His current work can be viewed during his solo show 鈥淎bstractions,鈥� which runs through March 8, at the FOMA Contemporary Art and Photography Gallery in Santa Fe. He describes the works as 鈥渁bstract expressionist.鈥�
About 40 of Bealmear鈥檚 works are part of 鈥淎bstractions.鈥�
鈥淢ost of the paintings on the wall, on canvas, are from 2024,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 did a lot of painting last year. Then there are a lot of works on paper also, but those are in clamshell boxes on the table for people to look through. They鈥檙e not hanging on the wall. And it鈥檚 been about four years or so that I鈥檝e been working on those.鈥�
Bealmear said he tried to get across somewhat of an environmental message in his abstracts.
鈥淚鈥檓 really just making a statement from what comes within me, a little bit of just discouragement at the way we鈥檙e going,鈥� he explained. 鈥淢y first ones that I went in this direction, they were very dark, and now I鈥檝e lightened it up, and now they鈥檙e very colorful. And that鈥檚 what the show is, I鈥檓 just trying to essentially cheer people up a bit.鈥�
Bealmear鈥檚 pops of color are randomly selected and layered.
鈥淚 will grab colors that sort of appeal to me, and then I鈥檒l put another color on top of that one, and I may do that over and over,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no particular reason. They鈥檙e all acrylics.鈥�
Bealmear also works with household paints that he personally mixes to create a hue that appeals to him.
鈥�(As a photographer), in Photoshop, I was able to work out a palette of colors that I like,鈥� he explained. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 about 70 colors that I have made up, especially for me, and those are actually household paints. They鈥檙e the only ones who can match the colors to what I need. And so, I just kind of mix all that up along with pastels and that鈥檚 it. I鈥檓 just always working. It鈥檚 really enjoyable to work with such a large palette of colors.鈥�
Burst of expression: 'Abstractions' featuring works by Brad Bealmear comes to the FOMA in Santa Fe
