"I use my knife like the oar that slices the water’s surface in a swirling motion to reveal through some magic the biofluorescence—I cut to reveal, to make seen. "
T"he body is a liquid vessel, a sculptural form that carries its own light emitted in gestures, movements, sighs, and whispers that spill out into the cracks and fissures of this world."
- Barbara Earl Thomas
Claire Oliver Gallery is pleased to announce Make a Joyful Noise, a solo exhibition by artist Barbara Earl Thomas, featuring nine large-scale paper cut portraits. Thomas’ portraiture is created through intricate cut black paper, reminiscent of historical silhouettes, but her subjects are fully rendered and employ backgrounds in vibrant coloration. In this series, Thomas explores the impulse towards human creativity, specifically music, as a means of survival as a universal experience. Make a Joyful Noise features portraits of characters playing music as an act of joy in the face of suffering and upheaval due to war, the pandemic and structural racism.
