Louise Barr
The bold and immediate nature of Barr’s work as a designer and illustrator shows through both the structure of her designs and the use of single colour in her prints. Barr’s patient cutting skills are clear in the mark-making; she savours the fact that the movement of a pelt in water or the dappled markings of a feather can be captured with nothing more than lino, ink and gouge. It sounds simple, but relief printing is an exacting medium that requires a methodical and precise approach to designing and cutting, teamed with a kind of zen understanding that all could be lost at any moment with a slip of the gouge.
Barr appreciates the wider beauty of both natural and man-made environments but is particularly drawn to the small and fleeting. These moments can be as simple as a leaf back-lit by low evening sun or an architectural shadow on a concrete wall, but it is her encounters with wildlife that burn the brightest in her memories. Treasured encounters from her childhood in Kent and Sussex and the magnificent fens where she currently lives are executed with a natural feel for composition, close attention to detail and a deep understanding of animals in their environment.
Go to our Printmaking Techniques page for more information on how these prints are created
Don’t hesitate to email us on info@cambridgegallery.co.uk or call us on 01223 324222 if you have any questions about specific pieces.
