About & C.V
:
“Some of my earliest memories take place at my grandparents’ house. My nana, a War Bride originally from London, collected discarded and thrifted furniture. She would paint these pieces of furniture blue, pink, or even gold. Since she grew up on rations during the London Bombings, nothing was wasted. A decades old, threadbare teddy bear would be placed next to a Mother Mary figurine from the Dollar Tree on top of a repainted, centuries old, English jewelry box. At first, this seems haphazard, but to her everything had its space. Surprisingly these collections of tschotskes, painted repurposed furniture, and precious family heirlooms would work together in her curated space. Her courage to be unapologetically authentic to her vision and her resourcefulness was my first real art lesson.
Later in childhood, I was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. At the hospital, every room had a different wallpaper. Seeing these patterns, vertical stripes, stars, and polka dots, can instantaneously bring me back to those rooms. Feeling the absence of anonymity. Conscious life blurring with the unconscious mind. Most people would think of this remembrance as a trauma response, but to me these rooms and spaces feel tender. These memories exist in a space where time has obfuscated them into an ether. These blurred images creep into my mind when making work.
Once in remission, I spent most of my time puttering around my hometown in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The houses in Oak Ridge were erected from 1942 to 1943 to house approximately 75,000 residents to work and support the war effort. During my childhood, the population was just below 20,000. Countless afternoons were spent walking around and into faded and forgotten homes and buildings. These structures at times swathed in kudzu would whisper their long lost story.
In my practice, I am constantly collecting images, patterns and narratives, both imagined and referenced. I view all of my work, regardless of the material, as a collage. Like my nana, my interest lies in the juxtaposition of objects, figures, and how they relate to the space they inhabit. These assembled works with all their strange, tragic, and darkly comedic elements are the most genuine way for me to describe my dreams, desires, fears, and memories.”
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Grant Barbour is a drawer, printmaker, and occasional puppeteer. In 2017, he received his BFA in 2-D Studio Art from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and was awarded the Wardell Milan Art Award of Excellence. He has exhibited in Knoxville and Nashville, Tennessee as well as Omaha, Nebraska. He was also the Featured Artist for the literary and art journal, New Limestone Review in Lexington, Kentucky. He currently works and lives in Asheville, North Carolina with his dog, Ditto.
email: barbourgrant616@gmail.com