Alastair Barnes, Artist And Sculptor Announces A Celebration Of Life Series
Sculptor Barnes Launches: A Celebration Of Life Through Forms And Colors
Miami, Florida, April 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alastair Barnes is among a handful of visual artists based in both North America & South Africa whose works are as striking in the one-dimensional field of canvas as in the rounded form of sculpture. A prolific artist from his early youth, Barnes has tried his hand in various genres including pop art, abstract expressionist works as well as more naturalistic and figurative works. He is also renowned as an acclaimed portrait artist and sculptor who just announced that he will be launching his Celebartion of life through forms and colors series next month.
With all the rage in the art world being focused on NFT's Alastair Barnes' sticks to his roots and his works have found their way in some of the most prestigious art exhibitions around the world. In addition, he has held several one-man shows in some of the top galleries in the country in New York City, Austin, Texas, Miami, Florida, and Los Angeles, California.
The series being launched was inspired through Barnes experiences that have traversed many genres during his long years as an active visual artist, he really comes into his own in portraits and in painting and sculpting objects, items and living creatures from nature. For instance, a large part of his bronze cast sculptures consists of figures of many different varieties of birds native to the southern coast of South Africa where he has an artist residency, in the quaint and quiet country village of Greyton which contrasts to the other artist hubs of London & New York.
Barnes' love for nature however was imbued early from his childhood. He was born and raised in East London, sitting along the southeastern coast. The abundance of natural beauty found in the place with its lush green valleys, pristine forests and the grassy hills played an important part in shaping the mental cast of the artist during his formative years.
Barnes received his formal schooling at Selbourne College, although his real classroom was in the very midst of nature. That he grew in the care of his old and deaf grandfather who, as a matter of fact, cared little about the child proved to be a blessing in disguise for Barnes. Since there was no strict guardianship, he could roam free as and when he wished amidst that rich abundance of nature that East London represented with its hills, valleys and forests.
And this is all too clearly reflected in Barnes' philosophy of art and the way he approaches his artistic creations. According to Barnes, he has always seen paining as a joyous expression of life in its plentiful abundance and that he revels in the sound and the light and in all the various forms of nature. As such, Barnes maintains, colors in his works are used more as symbols of light and form and sound and less for their naturalistic value. This is why, although many of his paintings and sculptural works have a formalist bend to them (with some bordering on outright quirky), the other, more figurative works are full of exquisite details that bear testimony to Barnes' close and intense observing powers. Also, Barnes' love for colors becomes evident in the fact that he never flinches from using them on his bronze sculptures (which, as a norm, are seldom colored).
The attention to and love for details also explain Barnes' superiority as a portrait artist and sculpture. In fact, Barnes likes to describe portrait sculpting (more than painting) to be his forte and gladly accepts individual commissions for this kind of work. Barnes explains that while working on a portrait, in addition to the exterior details, he really tries his best to express the very soul of his subject. And this is what makes Barnes' portraits (be they of humans, birds or any other living object) so original, intense and highly revelatory in nature.
Barnes fondly recalls that while at school, he was fortunate to have found Tony Grogan as his mentor. The latter played a key role in shaping the mental landscape of the budding artist. As for the artists who influenced him most, Barnes names Klimt, Rodin, Anton Van Vouw, J H Pierneef, Bugatti, Ernst Kirschner and Andere Derain, among others. However, he at the same breath maintains that his real influence and mentor has been and continues to be the Mother Nature herself. He affirms that he has always seen life as a marvelous jol and celebration and that even to this day, he simply cannot wait for the sun to rise each and every passing day!
You can check many of Barnes' latest artworks and videos of him at work at his Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/alastairbarnes.art) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/alastairbarnes.art/?hl=en) profiles.
CONTACT: Alastair Barnes Contact@alastairbarnes.com
