An Absolute Shower -- Now Showing!

Carmichael Gallery Presents An Absolute ShowerThe Art of Will Barras
Opening Reception: Saturday June 7, 2008, 8PM – Midnight1257 N. La Brea AveWest Hollywood, CA 90038Exhibition Dates: June 7 – July 6, 2008

Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art is pleased to announce An Absolute Shower, a solo exhibition featuring the work of UK artist Will Barras. Barras will be showcasing more than 15 new original paintings and drawings in a wide assortment of media, including pen, pencil, acrylic, ink and spray paint on printed fabric, linen, canvas and paper. In An Absolute Shower, Barras explores a thunderstorm of themes, ranging from reflections on his homeland to fantasies of the exotic. For Barras, the name of the show captures the essence of what it means to be British. A famous catchphrase of the caddish English comedic actor Terry Thomas, it evokes the unique landscape, weather, and humor of the United Kingdom. At the same time, it is a name that lends itself well to Barras' inventive body of work and talent for narrative. "It's a good start for telling a story," he observes, and conjures up the thrills of "a difficult journey, or a secret history or legend".Freeing himself from the limitations of a specific theme, Barras prefers to craft a more impromptu sequence as he works, weaving a few concrete character images into provocative backdrops and mysterious circumstances. It is important to him to maintain the natural flow of energy in his pieces, ensuring that delicate balance between the abstract and the figurative. For Barras, this means "working in a freer, looser way, not so much in line quality, but ideas and association."Barras' confident experimentation results in impressive brush strokes that lend a sense of tremendous momentum, particularly when paired with his astonishingly vibrant color palette. "I often use muted colors at first and build it up with washes of paint; I kind of move from one color to another, moving through the palette like it's a journey." Sometimes the backdrop of a piece is dark and looming, with a sudden injection of bright tones in places "to make it pop." It is this heightened contrast that makes Barras' pieces explode from the confines of their canvas. Perhaps the artist describes it best himself, however, likening his work to "being strapped to the front of a passenger train which is on a collision course with another train."

(Umm.. the description is a bit out there.. but his work looks awesome...-Sandrita)