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Riddled
2007
In his previous work, looking at conflicting stereotypes of
small-town eastern Washington and small-town USA in general,
Barlow sought to incorporate perceived truths, or evidence of
actions believed to be common small town activities, with contrasting
culturally-ingrained notions of idyllic small American towns
as safe places to live.
Continuing with complementary and contrasting mediums, Barlow’s
body of work, Riddled, draws from America’s gun,
entertainment, and safety/protection culture. With combinations
of bullet-marked steel boxes, safety colors, foam earplugs,
hunter-discarded deer parts, and related objects, Barlow’s
paradoxical and peculiar work bridges the gap between amusing
and intimidating. Drawing from the concept of psychic automatism
as implemented by abstract expressionists, especially Jackson
Pollock, Barlow’s bullet-riddled sculptures similarly
exist illusion free, referencing a collective, rather than an
individual, American subconscious. |
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