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Vera Barnett
Time

2011

About the Item

Inspired by the quote "Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations." - Faith Baldwin In her recent series, "The Painted Word," Vera Barnett has turned to the written word for inspiration, building a body of work from her examination of common sayings, quotes, and poems. Barnett develops imagery with poignant meanings derived from each phrase, and assembles her compositions as maquettes in her studio from which to paint. Once the scene is created – using sewn plastic and cloth, cardboard, tape, and found objects – Barnett paints her tableaus in a trompe l’oeil manner so real as to confound the viewer. The figures’ fabricated textures are rendered so convincingly, yet their presence and humanity are fully authentic. Frederick Turner writes of Barnett’s subjects, “To begin with, they have been painted with such loving classical attention that their cheap materials and tight or flaccid artificiality take on a kind of pathos, are ennobled by the attention they have been given.” The juxtaposition of plasticity and reality suggests duality of meaning; Barnett’s interpretations of the written word are uniquely her own. Barnett explains, “I am drawn to art that explores the emotional relationships between people, their environment and circumstances that they find themselves in. I wish to reconstruct these ideas through my own vision, my life and experiences.” Barnett studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. This painting is included in her second solo exhibition at Valley House Gallery, “Vera Barnett: The Painted Word,” in 2015. Bibliography: “Vera Barnett: Classical Plastique,” exhibition catalogue, with the essay “The Fabrications of Vera Barnett: an Appreciation” by Frederick Turner, Valley House Gallery, Dallas, Texas, 2010. The dimensions including the frame are 37 1/4 x 25 3/8 inches.
  • Creator:
    Vera Barnett (1957, American)
  • Creation Year:
    2011
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 36 in (91.44 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Dallas, TX
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 170131stDibs: LU257416712

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