SEPTEMBER 17 – OCTOBER 30
Virtual Tour available September 23
Public Reception: Friday, October 7, 6 – 8 pm, indoors and masks required
Galusha Gallery
Lisa Marie Barber’s aesthetic sensibility is rooted in the Mexican folk art and Mexican Catholic shrines and churches of her heritage and upbringing in Tucson, Arizona—about 50 miles from the Mexico border. Its decorative and “excessive” qualities project a belief that ornamentation and abundance denote reverence and value. Barber’s shrine-like works are composed of multitudes of individual, hand-formed parts, showing joy in process and adornment.
Using recycled “slop” clay and minimal tools, Barber’s hand-built creations project her imagined conceptions of home, gardens, peacefulness, playfulness, and celebration. To her, they are personal meditations on the happiness and beauty that outlines every day. Deliberate with showcasing the “handmade” quality of her work, she uses low-tech methods to create large assemblage ceramic sculptures and installations and mixed-media quilts. Featured in this autumn’s exhibition is “Viva Las Flowers,” a large-scale assemblage that brings together arrangements of color, flowers, figures, and play.
Barber earned her BS in sociology with an art minor at Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff) and MFA from The University of Texas at Austin. She is currently a full professor in the Department of Art and Design at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (Kenosha) where she teaches ceramics and serves as the liberal studies program director. Prior to her professorship, she worked as a university and youth art instructor in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has held numerous highly-regarded artist-in-residence positions and led workshops, across the US. She strives to have her work be accessible to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
Related Event
Artist Talk: Lisa Marie Barber
Join Lisa Marie Barber for an artist talk about her work and process. End the evening with a special preview of her exhibition work.
X13: Thursday, September 15, 6 pm CT
FREE; register in advance for in-person or remote attendance