Arkansas Gazette by Dan Morris art critic November 16, 1984
Barton Transforms Landscapes Into Seas
An exhibition of paintings by Richard Barton which opens today in the capitol is a significant show. Barton is a very good painter with a promising future. And while his work is quite collectible, his prices are still reasonable.
Familiar Subject
Barton is showing more than 35 paintings, which represent 2 years of work. All the paintings are landscapes. It would be difficult to find another painter who captures the wild and tumbling beauty of the atmosphere over the river valley with more accuracy and emotion.
Imagine for a moment what it would be like if sea level were suddenly to rise 300 feet or so, and the oceans were lapping at the foothills of the Ozarks or if the pastures and farms suddenly became stormy seas. This liquidity of land forms, as if the surface were being tossed about by subterranean forces, is portrayed in some of Barton's larger pieces. The landscape and atmosphere usually are composed of lush tones of blue, green and earthy browns as one would expect but Barton weaves into the fabric of his paintings surprising slashes of red or washes of orange. One of the smaller painting is simply an elegant yellow-green wind-blown field.
In Evening Storm, one of the larger works, the sky is filled with blowing clouds like giant wings, and it is clear that Barton is willing to do more than skilfully paint landscapes. He is experimenting and reaching out, pushing his limitations, in an attempt to put some emotions on the canvas. Some of these paintings are reminiscent of J.M.W. Turner and seem to approach the psychological impact of the work of Edvard Munch. Some of the smaller works contain the decorative appeal of George Rouault, but they all retain a flavour of the Midwest and therefore they bring to mind the work of Thomas Hart Benton. It would be a mistake however, to link Barton too closely with any sort of regionalism or particular influence. He studied for years in Belgium and his work has been displayed in several collections around the world. The pieces he produces are both cosmopolitan and complex.
Painting Air
In each painting there is a central light scheme, but Barton is not really painting light, as so may good painters do. He is painting air and atmosphere. Still, the light that is expressed in each piece is consistent and is reflected from sky to earth in an accurately observed way.
Barton doesn't paint on location or from photographs but draws from the storehouse of imagery that is in his brain. He produces landscapes of things remembered and said recently,
“I don't let the landscapes [real] get in the way of my landscapes [painted].”
In essence then, he is creating landscapes in a truer sense of the word, and this is a wonderful process to witness. In fact, this principle is probably what separates well-done paintings into the two groups. The craftsman can paint skilfully, even beautifully. But the artist is out there painting skilfully and beautifully while taking sometimes enormous risks. The artist often deals with areas of mind instead of hand alone, which is refreshing to see.
Artist Richard Lee Barton with former President Bill Clinton
(at the capital art exibition, USA) |
