Bo Burstam

Born in Stockholm, Sweden, 1936. Mother Anna-Lisa from Gavle. Father Wilgott from Landsort in the Stockholm archipelago. Married to Neta from Malmo, Sweden.
3 children, Tommy, Therese and Jenny.
In the early sixties, after his education, he established himself, as an Art Director and Illustrator. He had his own advertising agency. Parallel to that occupation he painted in oils, and watercolor and got many admirers.
Early in his career he fell in love with the art of the French Impressionists, Degas, Cezanne, Monet, Manet, Renoir.
He made yearly travels to Bretagne and Provence to be inspired and to experience the light and the atmosphere in famous places like Pont a Aven, Aix on Provence.
Bo and Neta have lived in the Naples area in Florida, in 14 years, but have now since a year ago, moved to Avondale in Pennsylvania.

They also have homes and studios in Sweden and Provence, France.

Education

Berghs/School of Art, Stockholm, Sweden.
Kontfackskolan/School of Art, Stockholm, Sweden.
Gerlesborgsskolan/ School of Art, Stockholm, Sweden.

Member of A.A.V. Artistes Associes des Voconces, France
Member of Bonita Springs Art League, Florida, USA
Exhibitions

Galleri Ortofta Slott, Eslov, Sweden.1996,
Summer.Separate
Gallerie Mairie, Villedieu, France 1996, Fall. Separate
Gallerie Espace du Lavoir, Vedene, France, 1997, Spring * Collective
Northern Trust bank, Florida 1997, Spring.** Collective
Northern Trust bank, Florida, Fall.*** Collective
Somethings Unique, Delaware, 2004, 2005

 

Honours

*Prix d'Excellence

**Blue Ribbon
***Blue Ribbon

 

Bo Burstam
Bo Burstam is an extraordinary artist, mature experienced and a globe-trotter. Born in Sweden he raised a family and lived a long life there. However even if Scandinavia is beautiful, for Bo there can not be any restrictions, limitations or borders. His interest for art and the willingness to experience and assimilate new impressions brought him early to France, "the Mecca" of the art in Europe. There he fell in love with the impressionists. He and his family spend uncountable travels to Paris, La Bretagne, Normandy and La Provence over the years that followed. He finally left Sweden for an international career, at the later part of the eighties.

He lived for a while in Belgium and France before he finally settled down in South West Florida. There he and his wife found the perfect winter retreat in beautiful Bonita Springs area. The summers though, where always spent in overseas, in Sweden and France.

His artistry expresses his tireless hunting for new experiences that can be manifested in his paintings. Bo's intensive contemplation focuses only on beautiful things. "Beautiful", Bo says, "is my passion in life". Everything he does centers around that theme, like the graceful ballerina, the still life with the antique porcelain china bowl, silverware or a portray, whatever he paints is a manifestation of that. But once he have captured the central motive and the nerve of the light and its reflections on different structures he seems to leave the object and only briefly indicates backgrounds, leaving us, the spectators to our own imaginations and experiences.

One of his main motives - the classic dancers, shows at first some influence from the French impressionist Degas. But you must remember that Bo and his family are more or less grown into Classic Dance because his youngest daughter Jenny was a pupil of The Royal Swedish Opera Ballet School. For years he spend hundreds of hours, sketching and painting dancers before and after the lessons and performances, very much like Degas did in France - no other comparisons made.

In his paintings Bo expressing a personal history and his life's experiences. Travels enhance the receptivity, heighten and bring back memories. Experiences and perceptions are recorded at the return.

Bo collects them and integrates them in to the account of his life. This continues process is reflected in his artistic records. It is a reflection of individual existence and secures his own traces in the past and the future.
 

Christine Melinder The Gallery of Örtofta Castle, Sweden

 

If you want to contact Bo click here |  Back to the Art page