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6/6/2008

Will Barras

Carmichael Gallery, Hollywood

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. The artist will be in attendance at the opening reception on Saturday, June 7, 2008, from 8PM to midnight.

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."

Will Barras was born near Birmingham in 1973. He moved to Bristol at the age of 18 to pursue a degree in graphic design and gradually branched out into illustration, which led to his involvement as a key member of the Scrawl Collective, with whom he frequently participates in shows and large-scale mural painting. Simultaneous to his busy event calendar, the prolific Barras devotes much of his time to commercial endeavors. Renowned in skate and snowboarding culture, his work is featured on all types of boards, apparel, and advertising campaigns for numerous brands. In 2002, Barras moved to London, where, when not travelling the world to live painting, solo, and group exhibitions, he works as a director at animation company Bermuda Shorts. In 2007 alone, Barras attended shows in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Brussels, Edinburgh, Mayrhofen, Oslo, Copenhagen, Bratislava, Cologne, Budapest, Warsaw, New York, and London, before closing out the year at Art Basel, Miami. 2008 has been the most significant year for Barras yet, including a Scrawl Collective show in Los Angeles, participation at the Scope Art Fair in New York, a successful solo exhibition at StolenSpace Gallery in London, and numerous other high-profile commitments to come.

Opening Reception: Saturday June 7, 2008, 8PM - Midnight

Carmichael Gallery
1257 N. La Brea Avenue - Hollywood
Free admission

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