Here, we ask an artist to frame the essential details behind one of their latest works.
Bio: Barbara Earl Thomas, Seattle.
Title of work: The Transformation Room.
Where to see it: “The Illuminated Body” at Arthur Ross Gallery, University of Pennsylvania (220 S 34th St, Philadelphia), until May 21.
Three words to describe it: “Be here now.”
What was on your mind at the time: The Transformation Room is born of obsession and my need to incessantly cut until the material ceases to resemble itself and what remains is the experience of light and shadow. The light is cool, while the wall color warms and animates the imagery. It’s always moving. The making is born from a desire to step beyond the frame of my two-dimensional works into the illusionary world behind my figures where light and shadow become the subject and activate my viewer’s experience. I want the space to surprise, confuse, confound, and dislocate while it simultaneously holds viewers in a shared experience on a common ground. What happens when inquiry is the point and there are no wrong answers, just an experience to navigate as a starting point? It’s disarming. We need to be disarmed.
How it reflects your practice as a whole:
My hand-cut immersive installations are team endeavors, and I usually have anywhere between two to six assistants. Some are artists, others are neighbors and friends. Most have been women with the occasional man. Their ages range from 15 to 80. Hand and eye coordination is important along with a willingness to work without knowing what the final piece will look like until it’s installed. It’s a leap of faith and a relinquishing of control.
With each iteration, I push myself to respond to the exhibition space. The Arthur Ross Gallery gave me the opportunity to incorporate the shape of one of its 16-foot gothic windows into my piece. At the Wichita Art Museum, I invited eight high school students and their teacher to join me in finishing the final panel for the installation. We had five hours to get our pickup band working like a synchronized cutting team!
For most projects, we cut for days, weeks, and months and trust that while mistakes are inevitable, none are intentional. It’s an organic, collaborative process where music, dancing, and forgiveness are built into the practice of making.
One song that captures its essence:
“Winter Solstice” by Seth Parker Woods, from his award-winning album Difficult Grace.
