Ted Barr
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Biography
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Ted Barr is a painter, published author, teacher, lecturer, curator and gallery ownerbusiness man. In 1980 after his release from his regular army service as a battalion commander, Barr started his studies in the fields that interested him; Symbolism, Ancient Egypt, Numerology, mathematical relations as well as traditional academic studies. He holds an M.B.A degree in marketing from the Tel Aviv University, 1990. In his role as a business man Barr specialized in long term care insurance; in 2009 his book about long term care appeared in Israel.
Barr has written several books, `Krombie' - a children book and `Frau Gruber's CampFarm' which was published in Hebrew in 2006 and translated into English in 2011
In 1995 Barr began his drawing lessons under the Israeli master Shlomo Tzafrir in Old Jaffa where his first exhibition was opened to the public in 2001.
Since then Barr has had exhibitions in New York, Montreal, Palo Alto, Guadalajara, Detroit, Chianciano Terme, Cannes, Paris, Istanbul, Izmir, Cheshme, Hayward,CA., Dallas, Miami and the Burning Man festival in Nevada. A complete list of his art exhibitions appears on his website.
Barr does not sign his name on his canvases. Instead he developed a private symbol that encapsulates his esoteric studies experience, more details can be read at `DE - Barr's symbol' at Barr's site.
In 2006 Barr begun his experimentation with tar, which led to the development of the multi-layered tar technique that is used in most of his paintings. A combination of tar, acrylic and oil colors with lacquer. In the deep space series there are 15-20 layers in each painting.
Barr's international career had a twist when in August 2008 he created 3 glass statutes in Olle Jonsson's studio in Alfta Sweden Those statues where exhibited in December 2008 at the Fusionarts museum in NYC.
In November 2008 Barr foundedcreated The Current Art Group, an international artist group, a platform for artistic interaction. As of November 2011 the group has about 4000 active members
In May 2009 Barr was invited to Guadalajara by the art teacher Mappy Wereka to deliver a workshop to explain his multi-layered tar technique; followed by another workshop in August 2009 in San Miguel De Allende, Mexico.
Barrs' series of paintings, Cycles of Life was exhibited in December 17, 2009 at the Gebo Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel. The series was also exhibited at the Daniel Gallery in August 2011 and the Ruth Gallery, September 2011 . In June 2010 he was invited to hold an art workshop in Hayward, CA to explain his creative technique. In October 2010 there were 4 art events in which Ted Barr was involved; a solo exhibition at the Israeli Opera house in Tel Aviv, a group exhibition at Ward-Nasse gallery in NYC, delivery of an art workshop at the creative festival in Beit Oren and to lecture about deep space art and the multi-layered tar technique. In May 2011 Barr was invited to the Izmir Bienalle in Turkey followed by another invitation for the Bosporus Biennale in Istanbul. In September 2011 Barr exhibited at the Dacia Gallery in NYC, In November 2011 Barr exhibited at the Luminarte Gallery in Dallas TX. Where he delivered an art workshop as well.
The phrase that describes Barr's vision of life is: As Above So Below. Meaning that human body, spirit, society, world and universe are connected as every star, galaxy and cluster are connected. Those cosmic relations are the main drive in Barr's art.
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Statement
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Painting the celestial sky brings to mind questions of the origins of life. Thoughts of conception, pregnancy and birth evoke similar wonderment of the initial moments of life. At the moment of human conception is the convergence of sperm and ovum. In the celestial realm the "big bang" is a similar unexplained fraction of infinitesimal time that represents infinite energy in a singular space area, the elements of which are beyond human perception. Human beings are designed to grasp all reality on a very limited scale. We are limited by what our sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch can perceive. The micro cosmos is far too small and the galactic worlds are far too vast for my perception but a notion arises, a strange and enigmatic notion, i feel that there is a strong similarity if not connection between the worlds.
Since 1995 when I began painting deep space; galaxies, quasars,blue super giants and supernovas have become my models. In recent years I started to paint a new series of painting inspired by the inner body photography of Lennart Nilsson, his depiction of human formation and the fetus in the womb.
As I explored deep space and the latest images of the HUBBLE telescope, I began to recognize a similarity between the large scale formats of the universe and the tiniest building stones of the human existence.
All that exists moves. As the electron orbits the proton, the earth orbits the sun, the sun orbits a central point in the milky way. There is nothing that stands still in the universe. There is a constant vibration that is at the core essence of every movement, a vibration that has similar shape in the most miniscule worlds as in the infinite galactic realm.
In my art I try to connect these worlds. The atomic and molecular space-time bar and the star-galaxy- galaxy cluster space-time realm. I try to visualize the placements within space and the relations between celestial bodies with the emerging fingers of the new born embryo.
The main notion behind my body of works is, As above so below.
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Exhibitions
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09/2001 old jaffa, Israel curator s. zafrir
04/2006 tel aviv fighters house, Israel curator s. kleinman
01/2007 neeman towers, tel aviv, Israel curator y. naor
05/2007 sokolov press house, tel aviv, Israel curator m. krimolovsky
09/2007 el-al airlines globus, tel aviv, Israel curator e. Drori
10/2007 old jaffa museum, old jaffa, israel curator n. Meirovitz
12/2007 istanbul art fair via nyarts Beijing curator t. nyego
01/2008 geological museum, r-h, Israel curator r. Sasporta
02/2008 cargo 21 gallery Paris, France curator d. polack
02/2008 horace richter gallery, old jaffa curator r. vaser
03/2008 gora gallery, montreal, canada curator b. gora
05/2008 hertzliya science center, israel curator v. genosar
06/2008 janice charach gallery, detroit curator d. Peleg
07/2008 passion center, palo alto, california curator l. Jacob
12/2008 fusionarts museum, new york curator d. Polack
05/2009 icogallery, new york curator s. Brumans
05/2009 valle real, guadalajara, mexico curator m. Wereka
05/2009 barr technique workshop, guadalajara
06/2009 venice bienalle, new york arts curator t. Nyego
07/2009 barr technique workshop. San Miguel, Mexico
09/2009 opening of de barr gallery
09/2009 chianciano museum exhibit and lecture curator m. gilardi
10/2009 gallery Dennis roman, Marseille, France curator e. Babylon
12/2009 gallery gebo, tel aviv, curator r. barbivay
06/2010 De Barr gallery curator for homage to Frida kahlo, 7 Mexican artists
06/2010 Passion university, Hayward, Ca, exhibit, lecture and workshop
10/2010 Beit Oren, Israel, workshop, exhibit and lecture, curator e. Feller
10/2010 Opera House, Tel Aviv, Israel, curator u. Rosenwein
11/2010 Ward Nasse gallery, SOHO, NYC, curator h. Nasse
02/2011 Ashkelon art center, curator, B. Zeichick
05/2011 Izmir bienalle, curator s. Urgun
06/2011 Igud R-H, curator Dr. s. Heller
08/2011 Daniel gallery, Tel Aviv. Israel, curator a. Cohen
09/2011 Burning man project and film, Nevada desert
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