“Watching Bubbles”, A collection by Carol Barber September 6 – 27, 2024 in the Dové Gallery at Second Street Gallery

Barber will debut a collection of new paintings, “Watching Bubbles”, in September 2024 in the Dové Gallery alongside a series of works by sculptor William Bennett. Featured below is a preview of the collection – visit the gallery in person next month to view the full series.

Barber continues to use paint as her primary medium, but her early career in digital art heavily influences her current work. This manifests through experimentation with materials and layering of paint. In this latest body of work, Barber paints directly on transparent substrates and suspends acrylic paint on top of clear acrylic gel. These methods present unique layering techniques all her own.

Barber utilizes color, gesture, and shape to convey facets of her personal memories and experiences. The color palette used in “Watching Bubbles” represents memories of closely watching blown bubbles as a child. Some of the paintings in the series fondly recall memories of attending carnival rides at night, an annual event which brought an aura of magic and excitement into Barber’s childhood life in rural Southside Virginia.

The “Watching Bubbles” collection will be on view within “Curiouser and Curiouser: A Dialogue in Abstraction”, a two-person exhibition featuring the work of William Bennet and Carol Barber in the Dové Gallery from September 6 – 27, 2024. Barber and Bennett were selected and paired by Executive Director & Chief Curator Kristen Chiacchia from a competitive pool of artists from last year’s Teeny Tiny Trifecta 6.

This exhibition is generously sponsored by Tyler and Andrew Greeley, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

Join us for our First Friday opening reception on September 6, 2024 from 5:30-7:30PM to meet both exhibiting artists and get a first look at their new bodies of work!