Lu Ann Barrow's "Soul-Journers" Hosted by Austin Museum of Art

Thursday, 17 August 2006 11:59

AUSTIN, TEXAS – The Austin Museum of Art (AMOA) presents its next exhibitions—work by Austin painter Lu Ann Barrow, Gee’s Bend quilter Mary Lee Bendolph, her influences and those she influenced, and draftsman/filmmaker William Kentridge from South Africa.  The vibrant color and rich textures created by these disparate artists are sewn together by AMOA to illustrate connections to our eclectic community. 

AMOA Adjunct Curator and Associate Professor of the History of Art at Texas State University, Jim Housefield muses, “With this trio of exhibits, AMOA brings to Austin exciting recent art from our region, the nation, and the world.  While these artists' media range widely -- from drawing and oil painting to quilting, assemblage, and film -- each of the artists involved works from a deeply personal place to create modestly sized works of great impact.”

This is the first museum exhibition of this Austin artist’s work.  Lu Ann Barrow developed her narrative folkloric style during her undergraduate art studies at The University of Texas at Austin from 1952 through 1956.  In her paintings, the world is filled with marks forming stylized compositions, all treated with a bright palette.  She tells vibrant tales of Texas life in which the interactions of friends and family inevitably lead to storytelling and laughter.  Her paintings are filled with celebration, whether the private jubilation of someone singing along to the gospel hour on the radio, a festive barn dance, or a spontaneous party.   Characters of all ages appear in her paintings —grandmothers erupting in happy laughter, young children dashing about in the rain or catching fireflies at night, even dogs resting in trucks parked outside a Texas saloon.  Barrow’s universal themes touch the spirits of a wide audience with humor and simple truths. This exhibition will be accompanied by a full-color catalogue published by Valley House Gallery.