Robert Bateman (naturalist)
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Robert McLellan Bateman (born 24 May 1930) is a Canadian
naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...
and
painter Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...
, born in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
.


Career

Bateman was always interested in art, but never intended to make a living from it. He was fascinated by the natural world in his childhood; he recorded the
sight Visual perception is the ability to detect light and use it to form an image of the surrounding Biophysical environment, environment. Photodetection without image formation is classified as ''light sensing''. In most vertebrates, visual percept ...
ings of all of the birds in the area of his house in Toronto and created small paintings with birds in their habitats. He found inspiration from the
Group of Seven The Group of Seven (G7) is an Intergovernmentalism, intergovernmental political and economic forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States; additionally, the European Union (EU) is a "non- ...
; later, he became interested in making abstract paintings of nature, strongly influenced by the work of Franz Kline. It was not until the mid-1960s that he changed to his present style, realism. In 1954, he graduated with a degree in
geography Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...
from the Victoria College in the University of Toronto. Afterwards, he attended Ontario College of Education. Starting in 1957, Bateman travelled around the world for 14 months in a Land Rover with his friend J. Bristol Foster. As they made their way through
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
,
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
, and
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, Bateman painted and sketched what he saw. Bateman became a high school teacher of art and
geography Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...
, and continued focusing his life on art and nature. After two decades as a high school teacher, he became a full-time artist in 1976. A year later Mill Pond Press started making signed, limited edition prints of some of his paintings; over the years, these prints resulted in millions of dollars being raised for environmental causes. His work started to receive major recognition in the 1970s and 1980s. Robert Bateman's show in 1987, at the
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...
in
Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
, drew a large crowd for a living
artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...
. In 1999, the Audubon Society of Canada declared Bateman one of the top 100 environmental proponents of the 20th century. He is also a spokesman for several environmental and preservation issues, using his art to raise funds for these causes. The majority of Bateman's paintings are in acrylic on various media, and have been shown in solo exhibitions around the world. He has been the subject of several films and books including ''The Art of Robert Bateman'' (1981), ''The World of Robert Bateman'' (1985), ''An Artist in Nature'' (1990), ''Natural Worlds'' (1996), ''Thinking Like a Mountain'' (2000), ''Birds'' (2002), ''New Works'', (2010), ''Life Sketches'' (2015), ''Bateman’s Canada'' (2017) as well as several children's books. Robert Bateman Secondary School in
Abbotsford, British Columbia Abbotsford is a city in British Columbia next to the Canada–United States border, Greater Vancouver, and the Fraser River. With a census population of 153,569 people (2021), it is the most populous municipality in the province outside metropol ...
,
Robert Bateman High School Robert Bateman High School (also known as Robert Bateman, or Bateman) operated in Burlington, Ontario, Canada from 1970 to 2020. The school was part of the Halton District School Board, and was established as Lord Elgin High School. After a merge ...
(currently closed) in
Burlington, Ontario Burlington, officially the City of Burlington, is a city and List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities, lower-tier municipality in Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton Region at the west end of Lake Ontario in Ontario, Can ...
, and Robert Bateman Public School,
Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
are named for him. He is an Honorary Director of the North American Native Plant Society, and has received numerous honours and awards, including Officer of the Order of Canada and fourteen honorary doctorates from institutions such as the
University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay, British Columbia, Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 1903 as Victoria College, British Columbia, Victoria Col ...
,
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
, Royal Roads University, and
McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
. At 95, Robert continues a schedule of painting daily and advocating for nature awareness and conservation.


Foundation

The Bateman Foundation
a national public charity, uses artwork to promote a connection to nature and the environment. Established in 2012 by Robert Bateman, the Foundation grew from his philosophy that by helping people reconnect with nature, they will be inspired to conserve and protect it. Through educational programs, community collaborations an
Bateman Gallery
exhibitions, the Foundation has influenced a generation of people to build a deeper relationship with the natural world. The purpose of the Foundation was to promote the preservation and sustainability of the environment by: # Establishing and maintaining an art gallery to perpetuate, protect, enhance and promote the artistic and cultural legacy of nature-inspired artists, including Robert Bateman. # Supporting or developing educational programs relating to the environment and nature-inspired artists. Robert Bateman is already aligned with child-in-nature philosophies. He is associated in the public mind with pro-nature education by his work, writings and public speaking. He is regarded by the national and international conservation community as a “hero” because of his lifelong support. He is a natural and gregarious teacher and his artwork is considered instructive. Robert Bateman is also perceived by many to be one of the voices of reason and hope for healthy, rejuvenated and creative engagement with the natural world:
''From the beginning of time we have been connected to nature, but for the first time in history, that connection threatens to be broken for most of an entire generation and perhaps generations to come. When children play in nature – climb trees, build forts and dams in creeks and go exploring – here is what happens: they have less obesity, less likelihood of developing attention deficit disorder, lower rates of depression and suicide, less alcohol and drug abuse, less bullying, plus, they get higher marks…nature is magic.''Bateman’s Sketch Across Canada
was a nationwide project started by the Bateman Foundation. They achieved their goal of distributing 33,000 free sketchbooks across the country, asking Canadians to venture outside and, in the words of Robert Bateman, “become bright-eyed three-year-olds again”. The Bateman Foundation's flagshi
NatureSketch Program
started in 2016 as a volunteer managed family program in Victoria. NatureSketch is an eco-literacy curriculum that encourages individuals to develop a personal connection to nature by teaching them how to observe and appreciate the natural world through art. The program is inspired by the artistic practices and personal philosophies of Robert Bateman and has been implemented in several major cities across Canada, reaching over 20,000 participants by 2023.


Personal life

In 1960, Robert Bateman married Suzanne Bowerman, having three children: Alan, Sarah, and John. He would then go on to marry Birgit Freybe Bateman in 1975, having two children: Christopher and Robert. In the early 1980s, Bateman and Birgit moved to Salt Spring Island. The couple purchased a home located on Reginald Hill Road, looking out on Fulford Harbour, that was designed by Hank Schubart and originally built for actress
Eileen Brennan Eileen Brennan (born Verla Eileen Regina Brennen; September 3, 1932 – July 28, 2013) was an American actress. She made her film debut in the satire '' Divorce American Style'' (1967), followed by a supporting role in Peter Bogdanovich's ''The ...
, (d. July 28, 2013) In the early 2000s, the Batemans moved from the Reginald Hill house to a house on a lake in Salt Spring designed by their son in law, Robert Barnard.


Honours and awards

* Life Member,
Royal Canadian Academy of Arts The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) is a Canadian arts-related organization that was founded in 1880. History 1880 to 1890 The title of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts was received from Victoria of the United Kingdom, Queen Victoria on 16 ...
* Queen Elizabeth Silver Jubilee Medal, 1977 * Officer of the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...
, 1984 * Member of Honour Award,
World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the ...
, 1985 (presented by the
Prince Philip Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...
) * Society of Animal Artists Award of Excellence 1979, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1990, 2008; Lifetime Achievement 2010 * Lescarbot Award presented by the Canadian Government, 1992 * Rachel Carson Award presented by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Washington D.C., 1996 * Order of British Columbia, 2001 * Rungius Medal presented by the National Museum of Wildlife Art, 2001 * Queen's Jubilee Medal, 2002 * Roland Michener Conservation Award presented by the Canadian Wildlife Federation, 2003 * Ideas for Life Award, Canadian Environment Awards, 2006 * Human Rights Defender Award presented by
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
, 2007 *
Niagara Escarpment The Niagara Escarpment is an approximately discontinuous, arc-shaped but generally northward-facing escarpment, or cuesta, in Canada and the United States. The escarpment begins south of Lake Ontario and circumscribes the top of the Great Lake ...
Lifetime Achievement Award, 2009 *
Royal Canadian Geographical Society The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS; French: ''Société géographique royale du Canada'') is a Canadian nonprofit educational organization. It has dedicated itself to spreading a broader knowledge and deeper appreciation of Canada, i ...
Gold Medal, 2013 * World Ecology Award, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 2015. *International Brandwein Medal, Brandwein Institute, 2017 *Jay N. Ding Darling Award, The Wildlife Society, 2017


Books

*''The Art of Robert Bateman''. Biography by Ramsay Derry. Madison Press Books, 1981. (French ed. 1982, German ed. 1984) *''The World of Robert Bateman''. Biography by Ramsay Derry. Madison Press Books, 1984 *''Robert Bateman: An Artist in Nature''. Biography by Rick Archbold. Madison Press Books, 1990 *''Robert Bateman: Natural Worlds''. Text by Rick Archbold. Madison Press Books, 1996 *''Safari''. Robert Bateman and Rick Archibald. 1998 *''Thinking Like a Mountain''. Robert Bateman and Rick Archbold. Penguin Books, 2000 *''Birds''. Robert Bateman and Kathryn Dean. Madison Press Books, 2002 *''Backyard Birds''. Robert Bateman with Ian Coutts. Madison Press Books, 2005 *''Birds of Prey''. Robert Bateman with Nancy Kovacs. Madison Press Books, 2007 *''Polar Worlds''. Robert Bateman with Nancy Kovacs. Madison Press Books, 2008 *''Vanishing Habitats''. Robert Bateman with Nancy Kovacs. Madison Press Books, 2010 *''Bateman: New Works''. Greystone Books, 2010 *''Hope & Wild Apples''. Bateman Foundation, 2012 *''Sight Unseen''. Paul Gilbert, Bateman Foundation, 2014 *''Life Sketches: A Memoir''. Simon & Schuster, 2015 *''Robert Bateman's Canada''. Simon & Schuster, 2017


Films

* “Down to Earth”, Zephyr Films, 2001 * "Robert Bateman", Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, 1994 * "A Day in the Life of Robert Bateman", Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 1985 * "Robert Bateman - Artist/Naturalist", Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, ''Spectrum,'' 1984 (Donna Lu Wigmore, producer) * "Robert Bateman - A Celebration of Nature", Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. ''Take 30'', 1983 (
Brigitte Berman Brigitte Berman (born 1951) is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, most noted for her 1985 film '' Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got''. Early life and work Originally from West Germany, she moved to Canada with her family in childhood and studied ...
, producer) * "The Nature Art of Robert Bateman", Eco-Art Productions, 1981 (Norm Lightfoot, producer) * "Images of the Wild: A Portrait of Robert Bateman", National Film Board of Canada, 1978 (Norm Lightfoot, director; Beryl Fox, producer) * "Robert Bateman", Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, ''This Land'', 1972 (John Lucky, producer)


References


External links

*
Robert Bateman's Ideas
Bateman's thoughts on various issues *
Audio interview with Bateman, October 2010Robert Bateman
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bateman, Robert Mclellan 1930 births Living people 20th-century Canadian painters Canadian male painters 21st-century Canadian painters Canadian painters of animals Members of the Order of British Columbia Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Officers of the Order of Canada Painters from Toronto University of Toronto alumni Canadian environmentalists 20th-century Canadian male artists 21st-century Canadian male artists Canadian bird artists Wildlife artists