Sharon Booma, the Artist.

Educated at the College of New Rochelle, NY and the University of Connecticut School of Fine Arts, Sharon Booma has been exhibiting her work since 1986. Her complex abstract paintings have been awarded top prizes in juried exhibits and have been seen in invitationals nationwide.

Her work is a vigorous pursuit of a balance between the states of chaos and order that alternate and overlap in our lives, between, as she says, “the tangible materials that surround us and the ungraspable spiritualism that defines us as individually unique people.” She searches for this equilibrium through use of a broad spectrum of color and a multiplicity of approaches, controlling and directing the movement of amorphous elements by the stricter structural boundaries imposed by both the canvas and the painted forms themselves.

She creates balance in each piece by a meticulous synchronization of a variety of superficially disharmonious elements: smooth, broad color fields, linear imagery, textured surfaces, oil and mixed media on panel or paper and deeply layered paint. According to Booma: “The very gesture of adding materials to the surface is very defining and a powerful movement. I feel various added elements keep the color shapes and movements in check.” The effect is that of a carefully realized harmony sustained with razor-sharp precision.

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Vibrant explosions of color are juxtaposed with structural harmony in Sharon Booma’s new works. Her dynamic style is furthered in this series with the edition of steel pieces, helping to ground the more elusive forms. A new sense of depth is present in her works, as multiple layers come to life with contrasting colors. Isolated forms are both illuminated by light and made prominent through shadows.

Booma speaks of her work as “representative of the effort to find a balance between the tangible materials that surround us and the ungraspable spiritualism that defines us as individually unique people.” Perhaps it is this concept that makes Booma’s work relatable to such expansive audiences. Although her intentions may be unconscious to the viewer, the works continue to intrigue and provoke emotion.

Among Booma’s major influences, are Henri Mattise and Robert Motherwell. As leader of the Fauvist movement, Matisse emphasized bold use of vivid colors. He believed color was the communicator of meaning. Color, for Booma represents that which is uncontained, full of life and joy. It is through shapes and form that the emotions of her colors are moderated.

Abstract Expressionism is another movement that inspired Booma. She relates specifically to the work of Robert Motherwell, who simplified his forms to concentrate on bold brush strokes and intense, yet focused colors. Motherwell sought to combine the conscious world (the world in which we live) with the unconscious; he thus linked many of his abstract forms to the conscious world through his titles. Booma also sees abstraction as a manifestation of her inner psyche. Her works become readable through familiar colors and exquisite compositions.

Invitations and Awards:

2005: Published in "The Art of Color" 2005 by Paul Zelanski and Mary Pat Fisher Reviewed in "Art in America" - City Focus: San Francisco

2004:City Focus: San Francisco- 'Bubbling Over in Talent' September 2004

2002:Published in “The Art of Seeing”, by Paul Zelanski and Mary Fisher, 5th Edition Prentice Hall
Dubuque Museum or Art, Invitational, Kearney, Nebraska

2001:Museum of Nebraska Art, Invitational, Kearney, Nebraska

1999:Marxhausen Gallery, Abstract Balance Invitational, Concordia University, Seward, NE

1995:John Slade Ely House Connecticut Invitational IV, Curator’s Choice, New Haven, Connecticut

1994: Silvermine Gallery, Art of the North East, Top painting Award, New Canaan, Connecticut . Slater Museum, Connecticut, Academy Show, Norwich, Connecticut

1993:John Slade Ely House, CT Women’s Artist Award, New Haven, Connecticut
Salt Box Gallery, West Hartford, Connecticut
Slater Museum, Connecticut, Academy Show, Norwich, Connecticut

1989
Essex Art Association Painting Award, Essex, Connecticut
The Connecticut Gallery, Four Women Show, Marlborough, Connecticut

1988
Essex Art Association painting Award, Essex, Connecticut

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