APPASSIONATA: THE ART OF JAQUELINE BARNETT 1990-2015

Exhibition Date: January 9 - March 17, 2016
Reception Date: Saturday, January 9, 2016 - 2pm

Often used as a musical term, appassionata refers to an intensely impassioned period or person. Appassionata: The Art of Jacqueline Barnett 1990-2015, an exhibit curated by well-known Seattle gallery owner Francine Seders, contains dynamic artworks that evoke both joy and pain. Seders chose oil paintings because they “reflect an intense emotional state of mind (while) their composition and play of colors give them strength and stability.” In contrast, Seders states, “the monotypes are more subdued, quieter; they are often painted over which gives them a luminous look.” Barnett uses bold colors, stable compositions, and fluid brushstrokes to reflect emotions that all individuals experience.

Also on view at Gallery IMA is Jacqueline Barnett: Early and New Works curated by Matthew Kangas on view through January 30. Mr. Kangas selected works from the artist’s collection and designed their installation at Gallery IMA covering 1960 to the present. Click here for more details about the exhibit.

NEW PUBLICATION:

Both exhibitions are self-contained; together they reflect and celebrate a new publication, Figure to Field: The Art of Jacqueline Barnett, by Kangas, and published by Museum of Northwest Art in connection with the exhibition there. University of California professor of art history emeritus Peter Selz has contributed a preface that places Barnett’s art in the context of Bay Area and New York art. $45 available in the MoNA Store

Come Together, painted in 2015, is an example of Barnett’s bright and bold oil paintings. The geometric shapes are placed on a dark and receding background. The composition is divided into distinct sections, but the forms and drips appear to be bleeding over the lines. Layers of color give the viewer the impression of depth, even though the subject matter is abstracted. The vibrant yellows and oranges seem to move and stretch on the canvas because of the combination of warm and cool colors, and the dynamic movement of the brush. The viewer is left to determine if these forms will eventually come together, or if they will spread apart. 

-Chloe Dye Sherpe, Curatorial Assistant