By Natalie Taylor
Bea Aaronson cannot be placed in any box or category, and neither can her art; it does not fit any particular style. She truly is sui generis. Aside from being a prolific visual artist,
Bea is also a performer, a singer, and a poet. Born in Paris, she is grateful to parents and grandparents who instilled a sense of the arts and independence from as far back as she remembers. When she was six, she wrote her first poem, illustrating it with drawings and paintings. Her father gave her the paper and colored pencils so she could express herself, because they were moving to a new apartment. Bea grew up with strong family ties; they all engaged together in the arts—music, performance, the visual arts, even cooking together.
Bea studied in France, then married at the age of 21 and moved to South Africa. In Cape Town, she became involved in the anti-Apartheid movement through art. As part of a theater group, she demonstrated publicly against the government. One theatrical production involved a line of people, alternating Caucasians and Blacks, bearing their buttocks to show unity through diversity. They called this “Black butt, white butt.” Later, in Charleston, SC, she completed a Masters in French and Comparative Literature, followed by a PhD in the same disciplines.
Art, in all its forms, is an essential part of Bea’s existence. She says: “I create not for the market. It’s a necessity, an emergency.” She explains the difference between arts aimed toward production instead of creation. When she makes something—a painting, a collage, an assemblage, a sculpture—its aim is not the public, nor the ultimate sale; it’s a call from within for a particular work of art to come alive, to be born. In her studio she currently has two giant canvases with a coat of preliminary colors. But, Bea herself does not know what they will eventually become, the artwork itself will dictate its direction and its message.
There is a humanitarian part of Bea that is naturally reflected in her art. In 2005 she first came to San Miguel. She recalls standing on a corner when a car stopped, a man got out, and helped an elderly woman cross the street. That moment was so powerfully human, so radically different from anything she would have seen in Charleston, she realized this was where she wanted to live out the rest of her life.
Let me try to describe some of Bea’s art work. On the walls of her studio, and in her home, you find many paintings in various styles and themes. Often, the base which has been painted, receives cutouts that turn it into a collage. Some of her work reflects her interest in the nahual—a Mesoamerican notion of a human being who can shapeshift into an animal. The saying, “One man’s trash, is another man’s treasure,” becomes reality with Bea. Objects from flea markets, garage sales, dead bugs, bones, and even discards on the street turn into amazing “found art” sculptures; completely transforming the objects into a cohesive whole with a powerful message. Her series on the harms of pollution has old, crushed plastic bottles, bottle caps, and other debris assembled into a three dimensional collage with an unmistakable message.
Many objects from nature transform into unique works of art with a nod to other artists. In her garden, a whimsical snake winds through branches of a potted tree. The snake itself is a dry branch she painted with brilliant colors, in homage to Hunderdwasser. The architect’s work is indeed evident, a recreation of his work in a totally different medium and environment. A painting in her living room is an obvious and unapologetic nod to Chagall. And it is beautiful. She does not copy, she reinterprets and allows you to see them in a different light. For the photo, she posed before an assemblage within an antique religious frame.
Bea’s works reflect her personal philosophy—showing the evils of war, the neglect of children, the effects of poverty, misogyny, and racism. She raises her voice against all these, she wants to “help, to give.” Her grandmother’s words; words she heard as a little girl, remain powerful in her mind: “Be as good as you can, and cause the least harm.” An even stronger invocation continues to resonate and direct her actions: “Never kneel before evil, stand up and be counted.”
To find out more about Bea Aaronson, visit: www.artlifebea.com
Natalie Taylor: BA in English Lit and Journalism, Loyola University, Chicago, 1995. MFA in Creative Writing, Vermont College, Montpelier, VT, 1999. Published writer, editor, journalist. Spanish teacher in the US, English teacher in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Translator. www.natalietaylor.org Contact: tangonata@gmail.com
Bea Aaronson cannot be placed in any box or category, and neither can her art; it does not fit any particular style. She truly is sui generis. Aside from being a prolific visual artist,
Bea is also a performer, a singer, and a poet. Born in Paris, she is grateful to parents and grandparents who instilled a sense of the arts and independence from as far back as she remembers. When she was six, she wrote her first poem, illustrating it with drawings and paintings. Her father gave her the paper and colored pencils so she could express herself, because they were moving to a new apartment. Bea grew up with strong family ties; they all engaged together in the arts—music, performance, the visual arts, even cooking together.
Bea studied in France, then married at the age of 21 and moved to South Africa. In Cape Town, she became involved in the anti-Apartheid movement through art. As part of a theater group, she demonstrated publicly against the government. One theatrical production involved a line of people, alternating Caucasians and Blacks, bearing their buttocks to show unity through diversity. They called this “Black butt, white butt.” Later, in Charleston, SC, she completed a Masters in French and Comparative Literature, followed by a PhD in the same disciplines.
Art, in all its forms, is an essential part of Bea’s existence. She says: “I create not for the market. It’s a necessity, an emergency.” She explains the difference between arts aimed toward production instead of creation. When she makes something—a painting, a collage, an assemblage, a sculpture—its aim is not the public, nor the ultimate sale; it’s a call from within for a particular work of art to come alive, to be born. In her studio she currently has two giant canvases with a coat of preliminary colors. But, Bea herself does not know what they will eventually become, the artwork itself will dictate its direction and its message.
There is a humanitarian part of Bea that is naturally reflected in her art. In 2005 she first came to San Miguel. She recalls standing on a corner when a car stopped, a man got out, and helped an elderly woman cross the street. That moment was so powerfully human, so radically different from anything she would have seen in Charleston, she realized this was where she wanted to live out the rest of her life.
Let me try to describe some of Bea’s art work. On the walls of her studio, and in her home, you find many paintings in various styles and themes. Often, the base which has been painted, receives cutouts that turn it into a collage. Some of her work reflects her interest in the nahual—a Mesoamerican notion of a human being who can shapeshift into an animal. The saying, “One man’s trash, is another man’s treasure,” becomes reality with Bea. Objects from flea markets, garage sales, dead bugs, bones, and even discards on the street turn into amazing “found art” sculptures; completely transforming the objects into a cohesive whole with a powerful message. Her series on the harms of pollution has old, crushed plastic bottles, bottle caps, and other debris assembled into a three dimensional collage with an unmistakable message.
Many objects from nature transform into unique works of art with a nod to other artists. In her garden, a whimsical snake winds through branches of a potted tree. The snake itself is a dry branch she painted with brilliant colors, in homage to Hunderdwasser. The architect’s work is indeed evident, a recreation of his work in a totally different medium and environment. A painting in her living room is an obvious and unapologetic nod to Chagall. And it is beautiful. She does not copy, she reinterprets and allows you to see them in a different light. For the photo, she posed before an assemblage within an antique religious frame.
Bea’s works reflect her personal philosophy—showing the evils of war, the neglect of children, the effects of poverty, misogyny, and racism. She raises her voice against all these, she wants to “help, to give.” Her grandmother’s words; words she heard as a little girl, remain powerful in her mind: “Be as good as you can, and cause the least harm.” An even stronger invocation continues to resonate and direct her actions: “Never kneel before evil, stand up and be counted.”
To find out more about Bea Aaronson, visit: www.artlifebea.com
Natalie Taylor: BA in English Lit and Journalism, Loyola University, Chicago, 1995. MFA in Creative Writing, Vermont College, Montpelier, VT, 1999. Published writer, editor, journalist. Spanish teacher in the US, English teacher in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Translator. www.natalietaylor.org Contact: tangonata@gmail.com
