Meet Trine Bumiller | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Trine Bumiller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Trine, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?

I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio with a very typical childhood, in an old house in an old neighborhood, with lots of freedom to roam, to climb trees, explore parks and forests, and play in backyards. Summers were spent in Northern Michigan with even more freedom to explore the beautiful lakes and wild landscapes. I was barefoot most of the time, swimming, collecting rocks, looking at stars. The time spent outdoors has definitely influenced my work; I make nature based abstract paintings and immersive installations.

My parents were a bit unusual, my father made travel documentaries, filming in a foreign country or countries for four months at a time, then editing the films himself and showing them to audiences around the US in person. He met my mother in Denmark on his first trip, which accounts for my name. She was in Denmark during the Nazi occupation during World War II. From both of them I grew a love of traveling, languages, different cultures and people. Because he was trained as an architect and she was very creative, I learned a love of visual art, design, and making things with my hands.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

My paintings, drawings, and installations reference the natural world and center on landscape and memory. My images are based on observation and are abstracted and recombined to document elements of the environment in innovative ways.

I love to work large. Some of my favorite projects are huge: Wood, Water, Rock, a 24 x 65’ wall of paintings based on landscape of Colorado, at the Colorado Convention Center; River of Stars, a 33’ high mural at the University of Colorado Engineering Building depicting the Milky Way above the Flatirons; In Memoriam, a piece that utilizes the story of a rare tree felled in Canada to tell the story of loss from the pandemic and racial violence.

Some of my favorite projects are Glacier Project, about Colorado’s 14 remaining glaciers vulnerable to global warming that was exhibited at the University of Colorado Art Museum; Monumental, exhibited at the Center for Visual Art, depicting all 129 US national monuments, about honoring and preserving places of importance; Garden of Eden was an entire installation of seventeen colorful botanic paintings exhibited on striped walls at the Emmanuel Gallery.

I’ve always worked hard, but it is the work itself that propels me further; there is always something new to research and express through my art. I have been fortunate to have wonderful people to work with and I believe that mutual respect and sincerity goes a long way. I am always looking for opportunities to exhibit my work and share what I do, and that drives me to keep looking for new possibilities; perseverance is a given; not to give up with rejection and not to rest too easy with success. Believing in the art, and maintaining inner confidence and discipline in the work will always win in the end.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

I love all of the art institutions here- the Denver Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, the Kirkland Museum (where I have work on display) and Redline, where you can see not only great exhibitions but artists at work in their studios. Robischon Gallery always has excellent museum quality exhibitions. The Denver Botanic Gardens is wonderful, especially their new gallery space. The Center for Visual Art has excellent cutting edge exhibitions. Emmanuel Gallery on the CU Denver campus, in a former historic church is a personal favorite- there are always interesting shows to see there!

Downtown Denver is great. I love Domo, and Uchi for Japanese food.  I like Locanda del Borgo in Mayfair for Italian, and Zaidy’s for breakfast. For bars I like Forest Room and the Cruise Room for their funky atmospheres, and the Four Seasons for its contemporary art collection. And this is random, but the City Park Golf Course Restaurant has the best views of the city and the mountains at sunset.

McNichols Building has great exhibits and there is fantastic public art all around the city, especially at the Convention Center and boutique hotels. The main Branch of the Denver Public Library is spectacular, especially the Ed Ruschas in the main lobby and the art in the Western Collection on the fifth floor. And nearby on Broadway, the Art Hotel has an impressive art collection.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

My parents were so supportive, they really encouraged me to be an artist, to do what I love. My three sisters were also a big influence- all were very creative and hardworking and ambitious.

Rhode Island School of Design was a fantastic place to open my perspective to the possibility of being an artist, and the year I spent in Rome with the RISD program gave me the foundation of Italian art history along with studio time to find my own voice. Betty Parsons Gallery in New York City gave me my first job and I learned quickly how about the business side of art.

My husband Kurt Monigle, who also went to RISD, is an excellent designer and photographer, and his work ethic is aspirational. Moving to Colorado gave me a new appreciation for the environment and it has figured prominently in my work ever since. 

Last, I have immense gratitude for Jim Robischon and Jennifer Doran at Robischon Gallery in Denver, where I have had many solo exhibitions over the last 30 years. They are dear friends and incredibly supportive of my work, and without them I truly would not have the success I have today.

Website: https://www.trinebumiller.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bumiller_art/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trine-bumiller-4a73b635/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trinebumiller.artist/

Image Credits
Wes Magyar, Alex Ho, Jeff Wells, IGCA Gallery, Robischon Gallery, Trine Bumiller