Modern and Contemporary Art

Note

Many of Bo Bartlett’s paintings explore themes of spirituality, often representing various aspects of faith, devotion and religious practices or rituals. With Dowser, the viewer is transported into a field with a young boy, modeled after the artist's son, whose eyes are closed in peaceful yet determined meditation, and who is participating in the ritual of dowsing.

Dowsing is a practice that involves using a divining rod, pendulum or other tool to locate hidden objects or underground water sources. Dowsing can be seen as a spiritual pursuit, as it often encourages the use of intuition and connecting with the energy of the natural world.

According to Bartlett, “Eliot posed for the Dowser. He’s wearing an old faded t-shirt. We can barely see it, but it says, 'Unite or Die' with a cut-up snake. He is dowsing for water, which is an interesting precursor to all the 'Water' series paintings.”