Dan Barry- Passing Time

Exhibition: February 2-25
Reception: Fri. Feb. 2, 8-11 PM

The artworks in Dan Barry’s Passing Time exhibition have been created in 2017. On one level they are a reflection upon the fragility of human life, loss, transitions and anxiety. And, on another the series chronicles the artist’s daily personal response to the general climate of dread and chaos found in current world events. For those who choose to take the time to engage with these mixed media drawings, it is Barry’s hope that some of the works utter a delicate whisper, while others deal a more brutal blow.

As with previous series of artworks, the creation of each art object, from beginning to end, is a purgative and meditative process for Barry. Creation begins with the collecting and gathering of antique frames, found paper and ephemera – close to home and on the artist’s trips abroad. Finding inspiration in these collected objects, images and surfaces, Barry begins to combine them, creating layers of images, textural beauty, applying meticulous drawing techniques – thus building up a history of marks. The resulting art objects contain surreal visions and personal narratives. Although left intentionally ambiguous in narrative, it is the artist’s goal to provide the viewer with enough signifiers of meaning, and hopefully an emotional charge, thus allowing you to derive your own personal meanings.

Dan Barry, b .1971, Denmark, Wisconsin (currently living and working in Austin, Texas).

“For as long as I can remember I have been an explorer, a collector, an image maker, an artist and a story teller with a self revelatory urge. My artworks have always been a reflection, and ambiguous journal, of what is happening in my life, mind and surroundings at any given time.

I grew up on a farm in a rural part of the American midwest. At a young age I began digging in old dumps, exploring abandoned farmhouses, gathering and surrounding myself with found images and objects. After completing my chores, I spent a lot of my free time day dreaming, making art and environments. At the age of 15, I became an antique dealer. The money that I earned buying and selling antiques allowed me to attend a private high school and a small liberal arts college where I studied cultural anthropology and fine art. These formative experiences directly influence my love for worn, distressed and perfectly stained surfaces.

Using collected imagery, found objects and meticulous drawing techniques, I create layers of images, textural beauty and meaning set in a world of humor and at times fragile vulnerability. The creation of each art object, from beginning to end, is a purgative and meditative process. The resulting art objects contain surreal visions and personal narratives. Although often ambiguous, it is my intention to provide enough signifiers of meaning, and an emotional charge, allowing the viewer to derive their own personal meanings found within my art objects.”