| Arthur Bacon |  African Queen conte crayon, watercolor and ink on paper 24" x 18" |
| Arthur Bacon | African Queen conte crayon, watercolor and ink on paper 24" x 18" |
Arthur Bacon interviewed by Adrienne Klein
Where do you find the subject matter for your work?"The work is a reflection of my surroundings and my observation that we're not doing enough to preserve the past. I believe the old saying 'You don't know where you're going if you don't know where you've been.' There is something poetic about that, something real. That's why I sometimes sit down and talk with my subjects. I work primarily from photographs. I try to photograph people in spontaneous moments when they are not aware of me. I very seldom have people come to my studio to pose.
"I get in my van and tour the countryside and I'II take the dirt roads off of the interstate and look for old barns, a front porch, and people. A lot of people will invite me into their homes to photograph them."
Do you feel there is potential for your art work to reflect your work as a scientist?
"I thought I could combine the two but that didn't work out. When I was in Talladega College as an undergraduate I was just as in love with science and art as I am today. I wanted to be a medical illustrator. My graduate work in zoology took all of my time and left no time for art, although I used my art skills to illustrate my dissertation. At one time my portraits were so anatomically correct that it showed that I had studied anatomy. I often say that half way between Talladega College and my home where my studio is located, I transform from the college professor and administrator to the bohemian artist. I think each lends something to the other. I also write a little poetry.
"My scientist friends joke that I'm a better artist and my artist friends joke that I'm a better scientist and I say 'Eat your heart out!' I am fortunate; I feel comfortable with both disciplines."
Arthur L. Bacon is Professor of Biology and, since 1997, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama. A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Bacon received his doctorate in zoology from Howard University. After a year of post-doctoral study, he returned to his alma mater, Talladega College, as Professor and Head of Biology, and Chairman of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Several galleries exhibit his work, which also is in the private collections of such collectors as Bill Cosby, William Raspberry, Hank Aaron, and Eunice Johnson.