Anthony Barnes artist statement

tMy artwork takes a critical view of the African American experience, culture, life and happiness.  Often referencing life situations, my work explores the varying relationships between culture and fine art. Having engaged subjects as music and lifestyles, my work reproduces familiar visual and aural signs, arranging them into new conceptually layered installations. While I use a variety of materials and processes in each project my methodology is consistent. Although there may not always be material similarities between the different projects they are linked by recurring formal concerns and through the subject matter.   The subject matter of each body of work determines the materials and the forms of the work.  Each project often consists of multiple works, often in a range of different media, grouped around specific themes and meanings.  During research and production, new areas of interest arise and lead to the next body of work.