A CLOSER LOOK

SOLO EXHIBITION by GARY BARNETT

APRIL 2016

EXHIBITION DATES: April 7 to April 30, 2016

BIO

Gary Barnett was born in Kitchener Ontario on June 28th, 1952. In 1971 he studied graphic design and drawing at Conestoga College. The following year he studied various fields of fine art at the University of Waterloo including sculpturing, performance art and art history.

Largely a self taught painter, he spent over 30 years developing a unique style of painting which explores an entirely new approach to abstract expressionism. His style involves using natural forces such as forced air, gravity, vibration and chemical reactions to control the paint as opposed to traditional tools such as brushes or pallet knifes.

He has had several shows over the past 25 years in Waterloo, Kitchener, Montreal, Hamilton and Toronto with great success. In the 80’s and 90’s he worked as a music producer and musician, most notably creating new age music used in audio plays. Since then he has continued to paint and explore new techniques for controlling the painting. His work has been described as “life exploding on canvas”.

ARTIST STATEMENT

A series of paintings  ..revolving around a concept

“When I first began drawing and painting, like most artists I was inspired and motivated by nature. I began painting trees, landscapes and people. I soon came to realize that whether I created abstract or very real images, I was still simply imitating life, rather than actually creating natural beauty.

I began developing my own style of painting, by combining principles of nature, art and science. I started using forced air, chemical interactions and other natural forces to control the paint, as opposed to brushes, or other traditional painting tools. This technique was inspired by the way that nature creates natural beauty, for example frost on a window, rock formations or the wings of a butterfly.

I create natural interactions between water and the acrylic polymer emulsions in the paint. This reaction creates dynamic and intricate details as it moves over the canvas. I treat the paint as a living organism and like all forms of life, it needs to be nurtured as it evolves, grows and changes into something unique.

In essence, my goal is to create a natural event on the canvas, in a completely organic way, much the same way that nature creates the intricate and complex patterns throughout the universe