Artist Statement
My new work reflects GEN-Z’s fascination with perfection, social media and beauty. With the use of AI reality becomes lost. Today’s technology reflects twisted “truth’s,” idealized representation and false iconic beauty. Filters are used to change facial features, skin color and erase any aspect of self a person dislikes.
By using apps and photographic manipulation as a reference, I am presenting in my paintings both the positive (skin tones and lighting) and negative (teal photographic negative) all at once. Intertwined with large bearded Iris within the composition which is a symbol for Hope.
The figure becomes lost in a sea of shapes, colors and lighting that have been partially reversed visually, resulting in abstract chaos that is meant to convey the state of our world today.
I am exploring the psychological disjunction in our contemporary life caused by its fast pace and rapid changes. The youth of today have too much information, they struggle to keep their personal and/or cultural identity and try to make sense of reality. Their world has become Filtered.
Deborah Barr 2023
BIO
Deborah Barr is a contemporary artist who draws on her interest in anthropology and spiritual and cultural traditions from around the world.
She holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree from San Jose State University and a BA from Mills College, where she studied with Hung Liu.
Barr has exhibited in the USA; Colombia; Nairobi, Kenya and Moscow, Russia, Monaco, France, Madrid, Spain; Berlin ,Germany and Luxembourg.
Barr taught art at Columbia College, Merced College, and San Jose State University and is a full-time Professor at Modesto Junior College in California. She teaches Beginning Painting, Advanced Painting, Basic Drawing, Figure Drawing, Art Appreciation and Color & Design.
In addition to numerous awards for her work, including the American Business Women's Association National Achievement Award, she won a scholarship to study mural making at the National Academy of Art and Design and has completed murals at the MJC Performing Arts Center and Kaiser Hospital to name a few sites.
From 1997-1999, Barr was the U.S. representative for the Bevey-Gate International Youth Programme, Heal The World, a project based in Nairobi, Kenya. During this time, she was also a U.S. representative for the Russian-based project Children's Dreams, an international traveling art and concert exhibition. Additionally, she was the officially designated U.S. representative from 1996-1998 for the organization "Wings of the World," an idea which originated in Russia and is intended to bring attention and assistance to the needs of children around the world.
Contact: 209-575-6075 Email: barrd@yosemite.edu